Something on the Horizon
by Just Groovy
Summary: Chapter 18: Peter and Sophie talk as tensions within the Cliffhangers give way to a confrontation, and Shelby sneaks in to chat with a 'shunned' Scott.
1. New Arrival

Disclaimer: Don't own Higher Ground or the characters. Except for the ones I made up, of course. For the record, this is the unwritten second season of the show. Kat is gone (graduated), and the rest are seniors. There will be two new characters, one boy and one girl. But this will have subplots for all of the characters.

* * *

Situated in the middle of the wilderness, twenty-five miles from the nearest town, stood a school called Mount Horizon. It was not particularly big or small, but it stood out in stark contrast to the forest surrounding it.

A car pulled to a stop in front of the woodsy setting, and the motor sputtered to a halt. The front door opened, and a high-heel-clad foot stepped out, followed by its twin. The woman was in her late thirties, and she wore her age well. She tossed her bleached blond hair over her shoulders and pulled her sunglasses down, watching the back door open.

Out from behind this door stumbled a girl of sixteen years. She frowned at her sneakered toes, unwilling to make eye contact with the woman. The girl had plain dark brown hair and flashing brown eyes and was not particularly glamorous. She stood slightly shorter than the woman, even though the woman was not very tall. The most noticeable thing about the girl was that she wore handcuffs.

A man stepped out behind the girl and nodded shortly to the woman. He was a Seattle police officer and had been for many of his fifty-six years. He was a respected member of the force and had not expected to spend a full day accompanying a troubled teen to a boot camp. Especially since the girl had been silent throughout the entire drive from the courtroom in Seattle.

Sophie Scarbrow, counselor and wife to the director of the school, saw the unsure-looking trio and walked over.

"Hello, come on in. Peter's expecting you." She said this warmly, directing it mostly at the police officer. The man tipped his hat in return, and caught hold of the cuffed girl's arm, tugging her lightly as he followed Sophie toward a log cabin.

Inside, she gestured to a set of chairs. The woman and police officer sat, but the girl stood, a look of defiance in her face.

"Oh for heaven's sake," the woman exclaimed. "Sit down."

Mutely, the girl shook her head, clasping together her bound hands. Peter Scarbrow, director of Mount Horizon, exited his personal office, carrying a file. He opened it, thumbed through a few pages, and squinted at the three newcomers.

"Good afternoon, Mrs…." he hesitated.

"Higgins," the woman answered. "I was just recently remarried."

"Mrs. Higgins then," Peter repeated. He kept his face blankly neutral and glanced at the officer. "Thank you for coming down."

"My pleasure," the officer lied.

"And you must be Janey Higgins," Peter said, looking from the file to the girl. He got no acknowledgement, but the woman nodded.

"Janey, how about you and I go check through your stuff, talk a bit, and Soph here can talk to your mom."

The girl didn't respond, but Peter looked as if he'd expected as much. With a smile to his wife, he beckoned to the girl and disappeared down a hallway.

He took her to a small windowless room and set a folding chair out for her.

"Have a seat," he said. Janey stood motionless in the center of the room. Peter moved over to her, and she quickly sat. Peter backed off, slightly startled, then relaxed himself and grabbed a chair to sit in. He plopped down across from her and tried unsuccessfully to catch her eye. He brought out a pocket knife, and it was her turn to look slightly startled.

"It's okay," Peter reassured her. "Hold out your hands."

She complied, and he cut the plastic cuffs off, letting them drop to the floor. Janey wiggled her hands experimentally.

"The rules here are real simple. There's no violence, sex, drugs, inappropriate touching. We share all of the chores, even the staff. You can talk to any counselor here and it will stay between us. The only exception is if we suspect violence or illegal activity, in which case we're bound by law to notify authorities." Peter paused, but she didn't even look up. "Got that, Janey?"

A barely perceptible nod. Peter sighed. "Why don't you give me your shoes, and we'll go through your stuff." It wasn't a question, and Janey untied the shoelaces as Peter unzipped her bags, rifling through her belongings. On top were her tapes and walkman. Her mother wouldn't buy her a CD player, so she made do with cassettes.

"Like the Beatles?" Peter asked, holding up a few tapes by the band. She shrugged. Several tapes from the Beach Boys, some Bee Gees, one Monkees, one Turtles, and a couple of homemade ones, labeled Oldies Mix #1, #2, and #3 respectively in a teenaged girl's handwriting. So she liked her oldies.

She watched as he checked everything from her pockets to her toothpaste, finding nothing.

"What are you on, Janey?" he asked. A shrug. "Did you use today?" Silence.

Peter lifted her shoe and took out the liner. "Ah ha." He pulled out a bag of white powder. Janey looked away. "Anything else?" He couldn't find anything. She'd been running low, intending to go get more soon.

Putting the shoes on a table, Peter faced Janey again. "I'm putting you in the Cliffhanger group. Sophie will be your counselor, and I've gotten one of the girls from your dorm to be your buddy till you get settled in. Okay?"

Janey glared at a wall.

"Do you know why you're here, Janey?"

She glared harder at the wall.

"Janey?"

"Because my mother is a skank who can't deal with the fact that I know she's a skank." The words rushed out of Janey's mouth before she could stop them.

Peter took a deep breath. "It's normal to feel some anger toward your parents when they bring you here."

Janey transferred her glare from the wall to Peter. "The police brought me here. My mother wanted me in juvie. The courts put me here."

Peter frowned. "Looks like you lucked out then, Janey. Juvie isn't exactly a nice place."

"And it's just peachy keen here." Janey resumed staring malevolently at the wall.

"All right," Peter said, ignoring her last comment. "Why don't you get the rest of the way undressed." Another one of his non-questions. "A doctor will come in to examine you, make sure you're clean. Then you can come to my office, and I'll get you settled in. Got it?"

A slight nod. She'd turned back into the silent Janey. Peter closed her file with a barely audible snap. This was going to be a tough case. Or maybe not. Maybe the Cliffhangers would speed it up a bit. He left her alone in the room, shutting the door firmly. 


	2. A Couple of Couples

Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground or anything related to it.

* * *

Auggie Ciceros and his girlfriend Juliette Waybourne stood under the shelter of a large fir tree in a dead lip-lock. When they finally pulled apart, Auggie smiled. Juliette started to smile back, then started.

"Oh jeez. What time is it?"

"I dunno," Auggie said, pulling her closer. "Bit after three, I guess."

"Shoot. I was supposed to be at Peter's office at three."

"Blow him off," Auggie suggested, and laughed, knowing that none of the students would ever dare 'blow _Peter Scarbrow_ off.'

"See you soon," Juliette said, gathering her jacket from the ground and hustling toward the campus.

"Catch ya later!" Auggie called in response, then sat down on the cold ground. He was in no great hurry to return to the campus.

As he leaned back against the trunk of the massive tree, he heard giggling and whispers. He jumped to his feet.

"Scott? Man, is it you? Shelb?"

Scott Barringer and Shelby Merrick emerged from the deeper forest. Scott grinned openly and slapped hands with Auggie.

"Hey man, how 'bout a football game?"

Auggie shook his head. "Make it basketball and you're on, meat." It was a well-known fact that Auggie Ciceros couldn't throw a football worth beans. Shelby laughed, obviously picturing Auggie's last attempt at tossing the old pigskin.

"Count me in," she said, eyes sparkling. "Scott and I can kick your butt, Aug."

"I get David," Auggie returned, referring to another Cliffhanger boy, who could play a good game. "You can have Ezra." He said this in a mock-generous tone, and all three cracked up. Ezra Friedkin was the least athletic person at Horizon, as well as the biggest general klutz.

Scott shook his head. "Me and Shelby against you and David. You're on. Let's go."

Talking amiably, the threesome made their way back to the school they called home.


	3. Sour Introductions

Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground or any of the characters but Janey, in this part. Even Brenda is an actual Horizoner. 

* * *

Peter sat across his desk from Janey. She hadn't said a word since she'd walked in. A knock resounded throughout the silent room.

"Come on in!" Peter called.

Juliette Waybourne, a seventeen-year-old, bubbly brunette, bounced into the room. She took one look at Janey and, for all intents and purposes, squealed.

"A newbie!?" she asked, her delight showing immediately. Janey stared at her in disbelief. This girl was too happy to be true.

"Juliette," Peter began. "You wanna do me a favor and show Janey here around for a few days? Get her settled?" Janey knew it, like a lot of things Peter said, was not a question. This did not seem to faze Juliette.

"Sure!" she agreed. "Janey, did you say? You'll like it here."

"I already do." Janey smiled sarcastically. She turned to address Peter. "I want to know what this girl is on. Sign me up!"

Juliette looked puzzled, but Peter merely shook his head at Janey warningly.

"You two can put Janey's stuff in the Cliffhanger girls' cabin, then you can show her around, Jules."

Juliette nodded, beaming, and picked up two of Janey's bags. Janey grabbed the last one, shot a glare at Peter, and followed Juliette.

It only took a few minutes for the pair to get to the cabin, and Juliette showed Janey to the empty bed inside. Janey dropped her stuff on the bed and sat at the foot of it.

"You okay?" Juliette asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Janey shoved a strand of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear and looked at Juliette blankly.

"Come on," Juliette urged, eager to show Janey the campus. "I'll show you around and introduce you to people."

The younger girl shook her head stubbornly.

"Janey!" Juliette frowned. "Should I get Peter or Sophie? Are you okay?"

Janey stood up jerkily and creased her forehead into an impatient expression. "I'm fine. Jeez, have a freaking cow."

Juliette looked startled at this sudden personality switch, but she shrugged it off and led the way to the door to begin her tour.

* * *

A half hour later, Janey was convinced she could locate everyplace on campus blindfolded and with her hands tied behind her back. Juliette had shown her every minute landmark, from the wood-chopping block to the main office, from the kayak "barn" to the kitchen hall.

Janey decided that Juliette must stay so skinny by bouncing around all the time. It burned more calories, she reasoned, when you were a happy-freak than a pessimist. Janey was not a pessimist, but a realist, as she often told herself. She knew the real side of life.

After prancing across a field littered with teens playing football, or soccer, or just walking and talking, Juliette arrived at the basketball court. She shrieked a hello at Auggie, Scott, Shelby, and David, and they dropped the ball to see what the cheerful girl had up her sleeve.

"Guess what!?" Juliette asked. "Newbie!"

"Newbie, eh?" Auggie repeated, looking past his girlfriend to see Janey. "Come on over, chica." He didn't say it unkindly, and Janey took a few steps closer, then froze.

"Guys, this is Janey," Juliette said, throwing an arm around Janey, who immediately pushed it off. "Janey, this is Auggie, David, Shelby, and Scott."

Janey's response was to glare daggers at her fellow Cliffhangers. Scott pulled Shelby close and kissed her on the side of her head. Shelby leaned into him and returned Janey's glare.

"We-heh-ell, what do we have here?" Shelby asked in her typical sarcastic manner, though not rudely. "Not the greatest greeting."

"I don't 'greet' skanks," was Janey's reply.

"Cut it!" Scott said angrily.

Janey spun to face him. "Bite me."

"Hey!" Auggie stepped in, acting referee. Scott ran a hand through his hair, and looked slightly embarrassed. Shelby frowned at Janey.

"Watch your mouth, kid." Shelby put her hands on her waist.

"Watch your hands, skank," Janey retorted. "Who knows where they've been?"

"Shut up! I'm tellin' you…" Scott warned.

"You shut up, and shove off!" Janey yelled at him.

Before Auggie could react, Scott jumped Janey, hitting her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. He fell to his knees and punched her again. Janey struggled to fight back, managing to get in a few good licks.

Auggie and David tried to haul Scott off of the younger girl, but he fought them too, and Janey used the opportunity to score several kicks to Scott's own stomach.

Peter raced over as soon as a crowd began to gather, and grabbed Scott roughly, dragging him backwards. Scott struggled. Janey forced herself to stand up, aching, then rushed Scott, almost knocking both Peter and Scott to the ground. Peter released Scott and got between them before Scott could get to Janey. He put a warning hand on Scott's shoulder and caught Janey's shoulder harshly.

"Who started this?" Peter demanded. Scott pointed at Janey and Janey pointed at Scott. "I guessed as much." He turned to a student nearby, watching the proceedings. "Brenda, go grab me some rope. Thin rope." She nodded and ran off. "The rest of you clear out." Muttering, they obeyed, but Shelby and Juliette hung back, Shelby feeling responsible for Scott and Juliette for Janey. "Now, Shelby, Jules."

They left too, reluctantly. Brenda came back and handed the rope to Janey and Scott. She took one look at Peter's face and cleared out quickly.

"All right, you two. You're gonna need to let bygones be bygones. Capeche? Scott, hand."

Scott held out his right hand with a set jaw, and watched Peter tie the end of the thin rope to his wrist. Peter then took Janey's left hand and tied her wrist to Scott's. Both kids looked expectantly at Peter, refusing to meet the other's eyes.

"A mile," Peter said. "A mile together."

Janey stood still, slightly unsure, and Scott gave a jerk with his wrist, and she was forced to follow him, giving Peter a rueful glance over her shoulder.

In the field, acutely aware of the many pairs of student eyes watching them, Scott started at a slow jog. He, standing at over six feet, had much longer legs than Janey, who was only four inches over five feet. She had to move her legs twice as fast to keep up with him.

Watching her struggle to keep up, feeling her skin touching his where Peter had tied their wrists together, Scott began to feel physically sick. And the things she'd said to Shelby! She didn't even know Shelby.

Scott picked up the pace, watching Janey's legs move at almost a blur as he moved into a run. He ran faster and faster, but his height and athletic prowess was too much for Janey. She ran hard, but finally found herself flying through the air, then landing heavily on the hard field, gasping for breath.

Her falling pulled Scott's wrist down, and he had to bend over her as she sat on the ground, panting.

"Too fast," she managed. "Too fast."

"Too bad," he said, mimicking her vocal inflections. He jerked her up, and she yelped as the rope rubbed against her now-raw skin. He started running again, even faster, if such a thing were possible.

Before long, Janey found herself back on the ground with a few more bruises.

"Get up," Scott demanded.

"No," she gasped defiantly. "You aren't playing fair."

"This isn't a game!" he returned angrily. "Get off your butt. Come on!"

She had no choice. It was only slightly over a minute later that she landed on the ground again. She kicked Scott furiously in the leg, and he jerked her wrist, ignoring the pain it sent through his own arm. Peter jogged over, pulling Janey up, and holding her untied arm.

"Cut it out," Peter reprimanded. "Unless, of course, you want two miles?"

"No," Scott said heatedly. Janey didn't respond.

"Your mile starts over. Cooperate." He dropped Janey's arm, and she bit her lip, glancing at Scott. He nodded at Peter, and started to run again. Janey was able to keep up, but she noticed that Scott kept her on the very edge. If he went one-eighth of a pace faster, she would go flying again, and he knew it.

After the mile, breathing hard, they went back over to Peter. He took out the same pocketknife that he'd earlier used to cut Janey's handcuffs, and now cut loose the twine that bound the two enemies' wrists together.

Both kids instantly clutched the offended wrists, and faced Peter with livid looks.

"Scott, K.P."

"What?" he whined. "Now?"

"Get over there, unless you want shuns," Peter said seriously, determined not to let the boy get away with this behavior. Scott started wandering in the direction of the kitchen hall. "Pick it up, Scott!" Peter called after him, and Scott broke into a jog.

Peter turned to Janey, who returned his look. "Janey, fighting is not allowed here. Did I not make that clear to you?"

Her mouth tightened, but she didn't look away. "I know this is not a comfortable situation for you right now. Is there anything I can do to help? You wanna talk?"

"I want out of this group," Janey said clearly, shoving her sweaty hair out of her face.

"Tough," Peter said. "You can learn from them; they can learn from you. Even Scott."

"I hate him," Janey said. "And you're shaping up to be another person I hate."

"Hate is a strong word, Janey," Peter commented.

"Fine. Passionately dislike, then."

"You're on room restriction till dinner," Peter said, letting her proclamation slide. "You can get back to your dorm?"

"Yeah." Janey turned and walked in the direction of her dorm. Peter sighed, looking at his hand holding the remains of the rope that had, for a little while, bonded the unbondable.

Sophie came up behind him.

"What happened?"

"Scott and Janey got into a little fight."

Sophie nodded. "Are you sure putting them in the same group is a good idea?"

"Janey wants out," Peter told her.

"Are you letting her?" Sophie wanted to know.

"No," Peter said. "That'd be taking the easy way out. I put her in the Cliffhangers. I want her in the Cliffhangers."

"Yeah, I understand," Sophie said. "I just don't want her too stressed. That's not a good thing at this point. If she's going to have problems with Scott—"

"—and Shelby, from what I could tell," Peter interrupted.

"Shelby? That can't be good."

"Nuh uh," Peter agreed.


	4. Dinner and Group

Disclaimer: I still own nothing pertaining to Higher Ground. The only thing that I made up is Janey.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Ezra Friedkin said, an amused smile on his face. The Cliffhangers sat together during dinner every day, and this was no exception. "There's a new girl here, and she and Scott were going at it?"

"Yeah," answered Shelby, Auggie, Juliette, and David in unison.

With a wink at Daisy Lipenowski, Ezra continued. "Could you define 'going at it'?"

Shelby started to push back her chair and stand, but laughing, Daisy put a gentle hand on her best friend's arm. Shelby slowly sat down.

"You better watch it, _Freakin_'," she warned, deliberately mispronouncing Ezra's last name.

He sighed. "It's _Freed_kin…"

David grinned. "I dunno, man, Shelb might be on to something there."

Daisy lightly whacked the back of David's head. "Courtesy is a grace much missed," she said.

"Poetic, Dais'." Auggie jumped into the conversation. "Come on, guys, back to the subject."

"Yeah," Juliette added. "We've got a problem here. Scott and Janey are having problems. So, we're all having problems."

Shelby made a 'sickly-sweet-blah' face.

"Where is the infamous Janey anyway?" Ezra asked. "Daisy and I haven't even met her."

"Over there." Juliette sighed, pointing to a table across the mess hall where Janey sat alone. "I tried to sit with her, but she told me to take a hike. I invited her over here, and she told me to take a hike again, this time with profanity."

Shelby snickered at the look of pained rejection on Juliette's face.

"And where's our boy, then?" Daisy asked.

"Scott?" David asked. "_Our _boy? Shelby, you're getting competition."

Shelby painstakingly ignored him. "Scott's on K.P. For the next few days. And if he screws up at all, however minimally, he's on shuns for a month. He got off harder than Janey. It wasn't fair."

"Did you say that to Peter?" Daisy wanted to know.

"He said Scott was older, had been here longer, and knew the rules like the back of his hand." Shelby shook her head. "Still wasn't fair."

"Janey _is_ new, Shelby." Juliette defended the new girl. "Who knows, maybe something you said accidentally triggered a bad memory or reaction or something."

"I can't believe you're actually defending her," Shelby sneered. "She was rude to me, rude to Scott, and started a fight. So she has to run a mile and gets sent to her room. Oooh. How terrible."

Juliette opened her mouth to retort, but Auggie put a hand on her knee, squeezing it lightly. He could tell that Shelby was upset, and he didn't want to have Juliette rock the boat.

Sophie came over to the table and stopped, standing behind David, who leaned his chair backwards to look up at her.

"Hey gang," she said. "Thought we might have a group session after dinner. Okay with all of you? Heard through the grape vine that some of you are having a few issues."

David smiled a winning grin. "Not my fault this time!"

"Congratulations," Ezra said.

"How about a group session in the form of a kickboxing match?" Shelby suggested, wanting to vent her anger in a violent way.

Sophie gave her a reproachful look. "Shelby, no."

Scott came over finally having finished his duties until dishes time, dropping into the chair Shelby had saved for him. He started shoveling food into his mouth, not looking up.

"Scott, group after dinner," Sophie said.

Scott glanced at her. "I'm really not in the mood." He paused, shoving a whole roll into his mouth. "At all," he added with his mouth full.

"Too bad," Sophie said. "I wasn't giving you an option."

She left the table, and the Cliffhangers turned to Scott.

"Maybe group's a good idea," Juliette said.

"Juliette…" Shelby said tiredly.

"It might help us all get over this," Juliette continued.

"Or not," Scott said. He downed his glass of milk and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Maybe Jules' right," Auggie said, defending his girlfriend. "I mean, she is younger than us, muchacho. I bet we could get over this."

"She can't be all that bad," Ezra agreed.

Scott pushed back his chair and stood up abruptly.

"What?" Ezra asked, shrinking back slightly. Scott was a formidable figure when he looked angry.

Scott paused. His face tensed crossly. "Look, you didn't hear what she said to Shelby. She's a—"

"Ahem," Daisy said, cutting him off in mid-sentence. Scott turned toward her furiously, but he caught sight of Peter behind him. Nice save from Daisy. He instantly put on his innocent look.

"Problem, Scott?" Peter asked mildly, but with suspicion.

"Nope," Scott answered, acutely aware that a 'problem' concerning him would result in shuns. 

* * *

After dinner, the Cliffhangers met in the fireside room, moving their chairs into a circle. Juliette set a chair for Janey, who had yet to appear. On her other side sat Auggie, then Ezra, then Scott, then Shelby, then Daisy, then David, and finally back to the empty chair for Janey.

Janey finally arrived, and Juliette gestured at the empty chair. Janey sat without a sign of gratitude.

"You could say thank you," Auggie said, his nerves beginning to be frayed by the newcomer. "Jules has been real nice to you. You could show some appreciation."

"Auggie, it's okay," Juliette said comfortingly, flashing a smile at Janey, who gave her a blank face in reply.

Sophie hustled in just then, cutting short Auggie's next remark. "Sorry I'm late, gang." She looked around at the sea of seven despondent faces and one elated face, David's. "David, you got something to kick off this session?"

"Nope," David said cheerfully. "Everything's good." The biggest problem in the group did not concern him.

Sophie looked around more carefully, picking up on the more minute details before her. The kids seemed to be sitting in a manner that put their least favorite Cliffhangers as far away as possible, or across the group. Shelby sat across from Juliette, Ezra across from David, and Janey across from Scott. Interesting. She wondered if that had been completely accidental.

"Anybody got something they want to spit out right now?" Sophie asked. No response. "Janey?"

"No." The word was bitten off. No, she had nothing to say.

"Scott? Shelby?"

Two heads shook. Another negative. David's hand shot up.

"Yes, David?" Sophie said.

"I got some gum. I could spit that out for ya."

Sophie groaned. "Garbage, David."

He went and returned quickly, not wanting to miss the good stuff.

"Well," Sophie began after a pause. "I heard there were some problems earlier today. Janey arrived this afternoon, and almost immediately, everyone is taking sides, fighting, arguing."

"Everyone?" Ezra asked. "May I amend that Daisy and I haven't even had the pleasure of meeting Janey?"

"Really?" Sophie asked. "Introductions then."

"I'm Ezra, and that is Daisy," Ezra said, indicating himself, then pointing to Daisy.

Janey nodded, then looked at her lap. Sophie was finding it hard to believe that this seemingly shy girl actually tried to take down Scott Barringer and ran her mouth to Shelby Merrick.

"I'll bet you're all kind of tired," Sophie said, softening. "First days are always crazy for newcomers, Janey. And that stress can be projected into the other members of your group. Why don't you all just go to bed early?"

Relieved to be getting off so easily, they started to rise.

"In one second," Sophie said, stopping them. "Tell me one good thing that happened today. Then pass it on. Starting with David."

"Peter got pissed at someone other than me."

"David…"

"Seriously," David insisted. "Highlight of my day. Daisy."

"Ezra and I finished our project for social studies. Ezra."

"Same as Dais'," he said, beaming because she had had fun spending time with him. "Shelby."

"Scott and I beat Auggie and David at two-on-two."

"Barely," Auggie threw in, but they were both laughing.

"Scott," Shelby finished.

"I dunno," Scott said. He wasn't laughing. Auggie and Shelby stopped, but David's grin grew wider.

"Scott, _something_ good had to have happened today," Sophie said.

"I dunno," he repeated.

"We talked," Shelby said softly.

"Shelby and I talked. It was good." His words sounded forced, but what could Sophie do? "Auggie."

"Roger edited my English paragraph," he began, referring to the black counselor to whom he felt particularly close. "And he only found three mistakes."

"That's great, Aug," Sophie said, smiling warmly. Auggie had dyslexia, as did Roger, and the learning disorder frustrated him no end.

"Jules," Auggie said.

"Um, we got a…" she trailed off. Saying that a good thing had been that they had gotten a new kid would start an argument. "Peter picked me to show Janey around." Okay, so that was the second worst thing she could have said, but it was too late now, and besides, she had meant it. She winced and finished feebly. "Janey."

Janey didn't lift her eyes. Didn't open her mouth.

"Janey, it's your turn," Sophie prodded. "Say something good that happened today."

"_Nothing_ good happened today!" Janey exploded suddenly. "Nothing good! My mother yelled at me! The police handcuffed me! _He_—" this was said with a finger flung at Scott. "—hit me! I get sent to this crappy school, and everyone here is a jerk!"

She stood up as suddenly as she had begun yelling and tried to leave. In an instant, Sophie was over there, grabbing Janey, trying to hold her. Janey struggled violently, finally kicking Sophie, freeing herself, and taking off. She slammed the door to the main room, and a few non-Cliffhangers, playing a board game in the corner, looked up, curious.

Sophie was momentarily stunned, but reacted as soon as she heard the door slam. "Ezra, get Peter. She might run. The rest of you, cabins. Now."

They all got up, Scott slower than the rest. Ezra took off toward Peter's office, and the rest went toward their dorms. Sophie left through the door, racing.

"Janey!" she yelled. It was getting dark, and the outside of the campus was empty of students. Sophie looked around, wondering from which direction to start. Peter joined her, Ezra on his heels.

"What happened?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," Sophie said, wincing for the first time as she realized Janey had kicked her hard.

"What?" Peter picked up on her slight movement.

"Janey kicked her," Ezra explained. Both adults turned to him at once.

"Go to your dorm, Ez," Peter said hastily. "Make sure Scott stays."

"Why wouldn't he?" Ezra asked.

"Ezra, go _now_," Sophie ordered. He left at a run, sensing the worry in their voices.

"I'll take the woods," Peter said. "You hit the campus, water, and roads."

Sophie nodded. They split up and jogged off, calling her name. 


	5. Back to School

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Higher Ground-related (not the show or characters). Only Janey is my creation.

* * *

Janey huddled under a tree in the forest. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't. She felt her tears coming. Blinking angrily, she leaned against the tree, hating herself. She had promised herself that she would be able to handle this school. She'd handled her life before, right? But this school was something altogether different: more confrontational. She took a deep, shaky breath.

"_Janey_!" Peter's voice. She stood up and stumbled away from the transparent safety of the tree.

He heard her running through the forest and picked up speed. She couldn't get too far.

Janey hadn't paced herself. She ran at a breakneck speed for too long, feeling her muscles ache, before growing almost numb. Concentrating on running, not hitting things in the dark, and not tripping grew harder and harder. Her breathing became ragged and forced. Her toe hit a tree root and she toppled, landing hard on the ground.

She was silent, controlling her breathing, choking back her tears. They couldn't find her. She couldn't go back and face the people at the school. She just couldn't. It was too hard. Too much.

Thinking those thoughts propelled her up to her feet and gave her enough fuel to start running again. But her momentary physical lapse had given Peter some headway, and within fifteen seconds, he tackled her, bringing her back down to the ground, forcing her hands behind her back.

Peter had tackled very few students in his career, and only when the occasion demanded it for the safety of a student. Janey could be violent, angry, or even high. She was definitely desperate. It still made him feel sick to his stomach as he helped Janey up, holding her arms behind her back. Looking at her downcast face, he saw that his tackle had knocked not only the wind out of her, but also tears.

"Janey…"

She looked up, her eyes flashing furiously. "Just let me go. I don't belong here."

"You're here because your life spun out of control," Peter said soothingly. "We just wanna put you on the right track."

"I don't need your help. I don't want your help."

"Come on," Peter said, lifting her up.

"No," Janey insisted stubbornly. She pulled away from him, and Peter quickly caught her arm tightly.

"You don't have a choice. The courts did a good thing when they sent you here. Please make the best out of it. The sooner you let us help you, the sooner you can leave."

She shook her head in denial, but did not put up too much resistance as he started walking back toward the campus, toting her by the arm.

Halfway back, she started pulling backwards, unwilling to go forward. Peter stopped, exasperated.

"Janey, you have two choices. Pick up the pace, or I'll carry you. We're going back."

"Peter." This was said pleadingly, and had Peter not been so enraged with her, he would have frozen. "Please."

But Peter was fuming. By all rights, he could have this kid kicked out of Horizon. She had kicked his wife, as well as another student, gotten in a physical fight, and verbally abused several people. Still, the knowledge that juvenal hall was the only other option kept him from deciding to do that right then and there. Instead, he lifted Janey up into the fireman's carry, and walked swiftly to the campus, ignoring her cries of protest.

Sophie had heard them approaching and stood at the edge of campus. Peter crossed the grass to where she stood and put Janey down onto her own feet.

She gave him an indignant look and glared at Sophie.

"You got something to say to Soph?" Peter asked, his face dark.

"Sorry I kicked you," Janey spat out.

"Now," Peter said, ignoring her tone. "You gonna walk to your cabin, or you need some help?"

Janey did not want to face the embarrassment of walking into her cabin, seeing the looks the other girls were sure to met out. The one and only thing that would make it worse would be if she had to be dragged in by Peter.

"Peter…" Sophie said, and he looked at her, his face slowly relaxing. She had that effect on him. He nodded. Janey kicked at the ground.

"Come on, then, Janey," Peter said in a more controlled voice. He took her arm firmly, not quite trusting her, and led her toward the Cliffhanger girls' dorm.

It took them all of three or four minutes to get over there, and they did not even look at each other, much less talk. At the door, Peter knocked, not wanting to barge in on a room of changing girls.

"We're decent!" he heard Daisy yell. He shook his head. Only Daisy.

Inside, all three girls were wearing their pajamas. Shelby and Juliette were sprawled out on their beds, Juliette writing a letter and Shelby reading _The Scarlet Letter_ for English class. Daisy was sitting cross-legged on her bed with her tarot cards, rescued from the trash by Ezra, and was reading them.

"Ah, it's you," Daisy said, looking up at Janey, whose arm was still held securely by Peter. "I was just reading your cards."

Peter let go of Janey, who slipped away and sat on her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, looking fearfully at Peter.

"Dais', this might not be the time," Peter said quietly.

Daisy blundered on. "It might be important, Peter. The cards say she has a secret. One of great importance."

"Confiscate the cards," Shelby groaned teasingly to Peter. "She's done nothing but read them all night."

It was only then that Peter realized how late it was. It had taken some time to find Janey, and then to get her back.

"Lights out, girls," he said. "Let me just talk to Janey for a second."

The other three seemed to have something greatly important to do in the bathroom, and disappeared. Peter went to Janey's bed and sat on the edge.

"You gonna be okay, kiddo?"

She didn't answer for a second. Then she looked at his worried face. "Please don't leave me here. Not with them. Not with _her_."

"With who, Janey?" Peter's forehead creased.

"_Her_…please, Peter." She searched his face pleadingly.

"Janey, look, we can talk in the morning. We'll get this figured out. I'll help you, I promise. But in the morning, when we can all think straight."

"I can't sleep here. Not with all them."

"Janey—" He sighed. "—why not?

"I can't."

Peter turned away, rubbing his face tiredly. "Go to bed now, Janey. Nobody in this cabin will hurt you, because they know that if they did, they'd feel the wrath of both me and Sophie. We'll talk in the morning."

She nodded distractedly. Peter started to leave, catching hold of Juliette as she came out of the bathroom.

"Keep an eye on here, eh, Jules?"

Juliette nodded. Peter smiled gratefully at her and left. 

* * *

The morning came with clouds, typical of the northwest autumn weather. The Cliffhangers sat down to breakfast, minus Scott, Juliette, and Janey, and began to eat.

Juliette approached Janey's table, and sat down, not giving the younger girl a chance to dismiss her.

"Good morning, Janey," Juliette said carefully. Janey was silent. The events of the night before had caught up to her, and she was embarrassed about flipping out, running to the woods, and crying to Peter about her roommate situation.

Pushing the food around on her plate, not really wanting to eat, Juliette tried another tactic.

"Pretty nasty food, huh?" She gestured at her oatmeal with her spoon.

"Nastier after it's been barfed up," Janey said in a tight, controlled voice, not looking up. That one hurt Juliette, who struggled to keep a smile on her face. How could Janey have figured out her one weakness? Her secret problem?

"I guess," Juliette said softly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scott join the other Cliffhangers, finished with his stint of K.P. for the meal. He frowned in their general direction, then turned his back on them. Juliette looked back at Janey, who was watching the Cliffhanger table.

"Want to go sit with them?" Juliette asked. Janey shook her head vehemently. "Why not?" A shrug. "Okay." There was a long pause. Juliette forced herself to eat a few bites of oatmeal. "You run last night?"

Janey stared at her suspiciously. "Why do you care? Don't you all want me gone?"

Glancing back at the other Cliffhangers, Juliette sighed. "Maybe it feels that way right now, but they're really a nice group of people once you get to know them."

"All sunshine," Janey agreed sarcastically.

Juliette sighed again and force-fed herself three bites of oatmeal. She wished she had just sat with her friends. Then she got a hold of herself. Janey was new. She was scared. Of course Juliette should be there to help her through it.

Across the room, the rest of the Cliffhangers ate their oatmeal. David's bowl contained more raisons than oatmeal however, and Daisy was teasing him about it.

"Have some _oatmeal_ with your _raisons_," she said, straight faced. David took some of the raisons out and dumped them into her bowl. She made a face. "Gross. They look like dead bugs."

"Rodent excrement," Ezra offered, not about to be left out of a conversation involving Daisy.

"Sick, E-Z," Auggie exclaimed.

Scott and Shelby had their chairs pushed back a bit from the group and were talking quietly. Shelby had picked at her oatmeal slightly more successfully than Juliette, and Scott had finished his bowl completely as well as part of Shelby's. No one could hear what they were saying, but Shelby was smiling coyly and brushing Scott's arm lightly with her fingertips.

"Somebody get them a room!" Auggie said loudly, causing them both to jump, and the rest of the Cliffhangers to laugh. Shelby swept the room with her eyes, and upon seeing no counselors, leaned her head against Scott's shoulder.

Daisy half-smiled at them thoughtfully. "True love. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Shelby smiled back at her best friend and gently touched Scott on the nose. Then she sat up and choked down what Scott had left of her oatmeal. Feeling the eyes of David, Ezra, and Auggie on her, she looked up, arching an eyebrow. "What?"


	6. Confessions of the Cliffhangers

Disclaimer: I don't claim any ownership of Higher Ground or its characters. The only character I made up is Janey.

* * *

Almost a week later, a week of Janey refusing to talk to everyone, of Scott becoming increasingly sullen, of the tension between Janey and Shelby mounting, and of Juliette getting more and more fed up with Janey rejecting her constantly, the Cliffhangers met for a class discussion on _The Scarlet Letter_ by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Sophie repeatedly slapped her copy of the famous novel lightly against her palm, pacing back and forth in front of the kids. They sat on the grass of the field by the gazebo, facing her expectantly.

"So…" Sophie began. "Can anyone summarize what we've read so far? Daisy?"

"Yeah," Daisy said, straightening. "It's about Hester, a woman who commits adultery and is doomed to forever wear a scarlet letter upon her bosom."

"And her love-child is demon-spawn!" David almost yelled.

"Yes, David," Sophie said calmly. "Pearl is often referred to as an evil child, almost the living version of the scarlet letter, because why?"

"She is the child of sin," Daisy explained. "She was conceived in sin, born in a jail cell. Her true father is unknown to all but her mother, Hester."

"And who is the father?" Sophie asked.

"Reverend Dimmesdale!" Several voices called out. That was an easy one.

"How does he feel about the whole affair? Shelby?" Sophie asked.

"Guilty," was Shelby's contribution.

"That's correct," Sophie confirmed, not wanting to push. "Why was he so guilty? Hester got over it."

"He was a holy guy," Auggie said. "Real religious. And he broke some big-time rules there, having that baby with Hester."

"It hurt his conscience," Ezra added.

"Good Auggie, Ezra," Sophie complemented. "Do you think part of his guilt came from the fact that he couldn't tell anyone?"

"Heck yeah," Scott said. "He felt bad because Hester wore the red A on her clothes, but he had to keep it inside. Wasn't balanced."

"Right on," Sophie said. "He felt really guilty because he couldn't tell anyone. Now, for your homework…" There were a few groans. "I want you to think of something you feel guilty about and never told anyone. Maybe it would make you feel better to get it off your chest. Tomorrow, we're sharing. And it _will_ stay within the group, so if that helps, great. Class dismissed."

They got off of the grass and separated. Juliette caught up with Janey as she hurried off.

"Peter said you didn't have to be my 'buddy' anymore," Janey said exasperatedly.

"I know," Juliette replied. "But I want to be your friend."

"Touching," Janey said. "But no. Not even no thanks. Just no way."

She sped up, leaving Juliette to contemplate what she had done wrong. Auggie came up behind his girlfriend. He didn't touch her, as Sophie was only a few yards behind them.

"You look like you've lost your best friend," he said. "But hey, I'm here!"

Juliette smiled slightly, not able to help herself. Auggie always made her smile.

"What are you gonna talk about tomorrow, Jules?"

"Don't know yet," she responded. "But you'll find out tomorrow, I'm sure."

* * *

The evening flew by. The Cliffhangers were constantly trying to guess what each others' guilty secrets were, but while much laughing and teasing ensued, no real 'dishing of the dirt' occurred.

The next afternoon found them sitting in the fireside room on folding chairs set into a circle. Sophie was interested to note that they sat in exactly the same arrangement as the last time.

"Who wants to start?" she asked. "The sooner your start, the sooner you finish."

Auggie raised his hand slightly and leaned forward. "Once…once I had this book from the library. You know, a school book report kinda book. And I got real frustrated with it…It was too hard for me to read or somethin'. So I tore it apart. Completely mangled it. Then, 'cause I couldn't afford to pay the fine—and didn't want to tell my folks—I burned the book and never went back to the library."

"Man, your overdue fine must be so freakin' huge!" Scott said, laughing. Auggie started laughing too.

"Scott?" Sophie said, trying not to giggle at Scott's take on Auggie's story.

"I—man, I don't wanna tell this—" He started laughing again.

"What?" Ezra asked.

"In home ec., I threw spaghetti on the ceiling. Not like a strand, like a bunch. And of course, I forget about it completely. Then, the teacher's goin' around, explaining things, and this wad of undercooked spaghetti falls on her head. With sauce and all." Scott was laughing so hard that he could barely talk. "And she couldn't figure out who did it. She kept yelling at all of us, but I never owned up. She never figured it out."

"Do you feel bad about it, Scott?" Sophie asked, wondering if Scott had taken the assignment seriously in the least.

"A bit," he admitted, calming down. "I didn't mean for her to get hit. And the whole class got detention, even though it was just me who did it."

Sophie nodded, and Shelby raised her hand. Surprised, Sophie pointed at her. It was not like Shelby to volunteer.

"In second grade, I cheated on a spelling test." She said this quietly, and Sophie felt even more surprised. "I couldn't spell elephant. So I copied. And the teacher didn't find out. Neither did my mom. I almost wished she had, because every time we had a spelling test after that, I felt sick to my stomach. Guilty."

"Thank you, Shelby." Sophie was pleased with Shelby's contribution. "Does it feel kinda good to just say it?"

"Yeah," Shelby said quietly, reflectively.

"Juliette?" Sophie smiled to see Juliette's hand raised.

"My mother entered me in a beauty contest once, when I was about nine or ten. The day before, when she was out doing last minute shopping, I ate a container of ice cream. Then, I lost the competition the next day. I thought it was because of the ice cream, because I screwed up my diet."

"It wasn't," Sophie said, standing behind Juliette and putting her hands on the thin girl's shoulders. "You know that now, Juliette?"

"Yeah, I think so," Juliette said with a sigh.

"I'll go," David volunteered. After receiving a nod of consent, he began. "One time, when I was like six, I wore the same socks for, like, seven months."

The others groaned, sickened.

"No, seriously," he insisted. "And my parents couldn't figure out what the stink was. And I never told them. But then, when they turned green, I got kinda, well, embarrassed, and hid them under my grandma's couch so my parents wouldn't find them and be mad."

He looked perfectly serious, and Sophie figured that this was the best that he could do. She gave him a weak smile, and turned to Daisy.

"I was visiting my grandpa in the hospital," she started slowly. "When I was little, ten or so, and just getting into tarot cards. He wanted me to read the cards for him. I did, and I got death. He was in there for a heart attack, and I got death. But you know what I told him? I said I got the card of life. That he would live for many years in happiness. He died three hours later. I don't regret it, I guess, but I hate lying. I just couldn't tell him the truth."

Sophie looked at her emotionless face, knowing that it took courage for Daisy to have said that.

"Daisy, I think you did the right thing," she said softly. Shelby, in another surprising gesture, caught Daisy's hand in her own, giving it a single squeeze. Daisy shot her a look of gratitude.

"I guess," Ezra said. "I guess I'd have to say when I was messing around with my best friend's dad's VCR when I was about eleven. I broke it, but when his dad found out, I didn't tell it was me. My friend got busted, and I was home free. Didn't tell anyone, not even my friend."

"And now you feel bad?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah, still. I mean, it was, like, six years ago, but I still feel bad."

Sophie nodded. "One more. Janey."

Janey looked down, then up. "Didn't do it."

"What?" Sophie asked.

"I didn't do the assignment," Janey repeated loudly.

"Janey…" Sophie caught the girl's eye, but Janey looked away.

"I don't have anything to say," she insisted.

"You can't keep running from your past," Sophie cautioned.

"I'm not," Janey said, her voice rising a little.

"Just tell me one thing," Sophie said.

"No," Janey said defiantly.

"One thing," Sophie repeated in a tone that was not to be disobeyed.

"One thing I feel bad about?" Janey asked furiously. "Okay, fine! How about a year or so ago, my mother got remarried? She marries this guy, and life seems okay. I get a new father and a brother out of the deal. But then, I'm in my bed at night, and I hear these sounds. Not right. My brother crying."

She paused to catch her breath. "My mother was raping my brother! He used to be so cool. I wanted to be like him. But then, he gets on drugs. I saw him in his room, doing coke. When he found out I saw him, he told me to take the drugs. I wouldn't. So he beat me up and made me. Over and over. And I got into them. And so I didn't tell on him. Didn't tell on him or my mother."

Janey was crying, rocking back and forth in her seat. "And I feel bad. I feel bad because my brother was getting raped, and I didn't do anything about it."

Sophie came over to her, putting a hand lightly on her shoulder. Janey pushed it off violently. Non-perturbed, Sophie spoke. "What would you say to him, Janey? If you could say something to your brother?"

"I'm sorry!" Janey said through her tears. "I'm so sorry, Scott!"

A collective gasp went through the group of students, and Scott pushed his chair back so suddenly that it fell over, and, ignoring it, he ran out. Janey got up and ran after him. Shelby started to rise, but Sophie shook her head.

"Stay put," she ordered, jogging after the two. 

* * *

Outside, Scott ran to the basketball court, then hesitated, seeing other students littering the premises. Too many people when all he wanted was to be alone. Janey caught up to him, but he didn't want to look at her, see her tear-streaked face, hear her apologies.

"Scotty?"

He spun on her angrily. "I didn't ask you to bring up all that!"

"I didn't ask you to sleep with my mother!" she retorted loudly.

The entire campus turned and stared.

Scott lowered his voice, angry and embarrassed. "Shut up!" he hissed, glaring at her. "Just shut up! It's none of your business."

"What do you mean?" Janey said shrilly, tears running down her face. "None of my business? She's _my mother_, Scott!" She took a jagged breath, becoming mad at Scott's attitude toward her confession.

His face twisted into a display of disgust, fury, and pain, Scott turned, advancing on her. She seemed to shrink, almost afraid.

_~Flashback~ _

_"Scotty?" Janey came into his bedroom slowly, having knocked to no avail. Scott jumped up, dropping something on his desk. Something cylindrical. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. _

_"Don't you know how to knock?" he asked angrily. _

_"I did…" She hesitated. "Are those drugs?" _

_Scott's face paled visibly, and his mouth tightened. "Get out of here." _

_"No," she whispered, wanting to deny it all. "Scott, if you're on drugs, I gotta tell Mom and your dad. They're dangerous, Scotty…" _

_"No they aren't," he said, his whole face tightening now. He held out the small cylinder, made of paper, and some white powder. "Try it. C'mon, Janey. Try it." _

_She backed away, nervous. _

_"Try it, Janey! NOW!" his voice rose to an almost hysterical level, and she whimpered, moving away. Dropping the drugs on his desk, he came over to her, bringing his fist up and… _

_~End Flashback~ _

Sophie grabbed Scott's offending fist before it struck Janey. She twisted it behind his back and turned him to face her.

"Scott, what do you think you're doing?" she asked. "Did Peter not make it clear that you are _this _close to shuns?"

Scott met her eyes silently, unabashed. Sophie looked past him. Janey had crumpled to the ground, and sat there sobbing quietly. Releasing Scott, Sophie crouched down and gathered Janey into her arms. Immediately, Janey struggled violently, shoving Sophie away. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them instead.

Obviously attracted by the crowd, Peter hustled over. He took one look at the situation, sizing everything up. Janey was hysterical, Sophie kneeled uneasily nearby, and Scott looked ready to break somebody in half. He knelt down, trying what Sophie had failed at not a minute earlier, and he succeeded in pulling Janey into a hug.

As Sophie looked on and Scott looked away, Peter let Janey hide her face and sob. His eyes met Sophie's curiously. She shook her head slightly and rose, grabbing Scott's arm. He tried to pull free and maintain a level of dignity, but she didn't trust him right then.

_Office_, she mouthed at Peter, and began tugging Scott in that direction. A small crowd had gathered, and Peter, with a quick gesture, bade them disperse.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"I told," she whispered. "And Scott hates me. All I wanted was for him to forgive me." Her voice caught. "And now he never will. I never do anything right."

"Sometimes," Peter said. "It's a long road to forgiveness. For both parties."

Janey's eyes, glazed and bewildered, looked at him. She said nothing.

Peter slowly stood, helping Janey up too. "Come on," he said, supporting her. "I'll take you to your dorm. I want you to lie down."

"I'm okay," she said, sniffling and shivering. Peter knew that this was not from cold, but from internal pain.

"I want you to lie down," he repeated.

Nodding meekly in assent, Janey allowed herself to be led to her cabin. Inside, Peter sat her on her bed. Janey flopped down on her back, exhausted. Peter sat next to her.

"You want to talk?" he asked.

"No," she said definitely.

"Tomorrow then," Peter said, unperturbed. He stood. "You can stay here as long as you need, Janey. It might help you collect your thoughts. Get some stuff figured out. Reflect."

Janey frowned, looking at the ceiling. "Whatever."

Peter shook his head, not understanding her sudden mood swings, and left her to her own devices. Janey rolled onto her side and fell asleep, worn out by the day's events.


	7. Messing with the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Higher Ground or any of the characters from the show. The only one I made up is Janey.

Thank you for your reviews, everybody. I appreciate them greatly. Please keep writing them!

* * *

Sitting on his desk, Peter faced off with Scott. Scott matched his favorite teacher's look of disappointment and concern with a defiant one.

"Scott, what did I tell you?" Peter asked, sighing.

"Watch my step or get shuns," Scott said. He looked away.

Peter cleared his throat. "Look, I'll cut you a deal." Scott turned back, surprised. Peter wasn't one for cutting deals. At Horizon, it was more 'Peter's way or the highway.' Peter nodded. "You talk to Janey for ten minutes and you're off the hook."

"Talk to my sister?"

"Uh huh."

"About what?"

"Anything," Peter said. "But you gotta keep your temper."

Scott debated. Shuns meant no Shelby, no talking, no hanging with his friends. But this new option meant spending time with Janey. Neither sounded pleasant.

"Scott?" Peter prompted.

"Janey," he said quickly, before he could take it back. Shelby was the most important person in his life right then, and he wasn't about to give up his talking privileges with her.

"Good choice," Peter said, relieved. He nodded to Scott. "You can go…unless you want to talk?"

Shaking his head, Scott took off. Peter leaned back, still balancing on the desk edge, and Sophie entered, glancing after Scott. She frowned slightly.

"Someone's in a hurry. He okay?"

"Yeah. Took the 'Janey option.'"

Sophie sighed. "Good." She dropped into the chair Scott had just occupied. "Peter, about Janey though…"

"Hmmm?"

"Right before you came out, I tried to calm her down. She pushed me away. But she accepted you. I'm picking up on a potential issue."

"Women," Peter agreed bitterly. "Like Scott. She's uncomfortable around women. Uneasy, can't trust them."

"Exactly," Sophie confirmed. "I'll bet that's why she lashed out at Shelby. She was worried that Shelby was hurting Scott like her own mother hurt him. And why she doesn't want anything to do with me. And why she's been pushing Juliette away."

"And why she's scared to be left alone at night with her dorm of female roommates," Peter added. "That's what she was talking about the night she ran."

Sophie stood and leaned her back against her husband. He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. She leaned her head back on his shoulder.

"Why are some parents so rotten to their kids?" she mused sadly. "Do they not realize how badly it scars them?"

"I don't know, Soph."

"We'd never be like that to our kids."

"No. We wouldn't." 

* * *

Juliette lay on her back on the ground. She knew that she was probably absolutely filthy, but she didn't care. She turned her head slightly and was able to look directly into Auggie's shining dark eyes. His were laughing at her silently, picking up on her giddiness. They lay on the ground slightly in the woods, side by side. They had sneaked out there immediately after Sophie had come to dismiss the group, explaining that Scott was in Peter's office, and Janey needed some time alone in the girls' dorm for a while.

"Jules, what is it?"

"I don't know," she said, grinning. "I just feel so…content. Ever feel like that?"

"Yeah," he replied, leaning in to kiss her lightly. "Whenever I'm with you."

Juliette laughed. Auggie rolled over onto his stomach, propping his upper body up with his forearms. He stared at Juliette, his own heart rejoicing to see her so happy.

"Jules," he paused. She looked at him expectantly. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "About what you said earlier. The thing we feel guilty about."

Her smile faded. Auggie blinked hard, but he knew they needed to talk about it. He continued, "The beauty contest. And your diet…"

She faced him sadly. "Auggie, I…"

He sniffed slightly and looked at her deeper. "Tell me the whole story."

Juliette nodded. "I was, I don't know, nine? Ten? My mom entered me in the Little Miss Oregon Pageant. For two months beforehand, I only ate salad and apples and only drank water. Then, the day before the pageant, my mom went shopping. She was going to get be hair-ties. To clip up little bits of my hair, one for each side, right above my ears. She had it all planned out. I had this beautiful dress. Pink, kinda iridescent."

She glanced at Auggie. He had leaned on one of his elbows, lying now on his side, turned toward her. She smiled slightly. "It was a beautiful dress."

"I'm sure it was," he agreed, his face calm and reassuring. She knew he wouldn't rush her.

"While she was gone, I went out to the freezer in the garage. My stepfather at the time loved ice cream. There were gallons and gallons in the freezer. I knew it was off limits, but…"

"Sometimes," Auggie murmured. "That makes it all the more appealing."

"Yeah," she said softly. "I took a carton. It was _huge_, a whole gallon, more than most people'd eat in one sitting. And I took it inside, and I ate it all. Completely gone. It was mint chocolate chip flavored." She opened her eyes wide, taking the sky in. "And then I felt so bad. So guilty."

"Jules…"

"I bagged the carton up in five different bags, so that my mom wouldn't smell it, and threw it away. The next day, I put on my dress, went to the pageant. But I lost. And I was just so sure that it was because of the ice cream. I'd screwed up my special diet Mom'd made for me. I felt fat and…and ugly."

She blinked back tears. "Then I went home. And I threw up. For the first time." She breathed deeply, her eyes avoiding Auggie, seeing only the sky.

"It wasn't _totally_ on purpose that time," she admitted. "I think eating too much had something to do with it. But I'd done it. And I erased it by throwing up."

"Aw Jules," Auggie interrupted.

"That's how I felt, Auggie," she said sadly. "I thought that throwing up undid it. But, you know what? It didn't. It just made my problems worse." The sky was so blue, so cheerful. She had lost that feeling. "I—I never felt so ugly in my life. That dress and everything."

"Juliette, look at me," Auggie commanded gently. She turned her head slightly, seeing his anguished face. "Listen good, Twig. You aren't ugly. You are the most beautiful people I know. Both outside and on the inside. And if the judges couldn't see that…their loss. It had nothing to do with a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream."

He sat up slowly, kneeling, then pulled her up to her knees. He took her into an embrace, and she lay her head on his shoulder lovingly. He had meant every word of what he'd said. She felt tears running down her cheeks and onto his shirt. He didn't seem to care, holding her even tighter.

Closing her eyes peacefully, she whispered into his ear, "Thank you."

* * *

Shelby had been waiting for Scott outside Peter's office. When Sophie came by, going to the office, Shelby hung back in the shadows, not wanting Sophie to warn her off. When the danger passed, Shelby came out of hiding and sat on the steps of the main office.

Shortly after, Scott came barreling out of the building. Shelby stood and moved in pace with him. He seemed surprised and glad to see her. Checking over his shoulder, he grabbed her hand and jogged over to the shade of a building nearby, effectively shielding them from view.

He then turned to Shelby and kissed her, a deep kiss. She pulled back first, her hands still on his shoulders, her eyes still glued to his face. She smiled teasingly.

"Shuns?"

"Nah, Peter let me off," Scott said, trying to pull her in again. Shelby held out.

"What's the deal?" she asked.

"I gotta talk to Janey tomorrow," he said quickly. "For ten minutes."

"Scott," Shelby began carefully. "Why didn't you tell me? About Janey being your…stepsister? I never even knew you had a sister. Or that Elaine had a daughter."

Letting go of Shelby, Scott ran his fingers through his hair, a habit he had when he was nervous about something. He paced. "It never came up."

"That's no excuse," Shelby said, trying to hide her hurt. She thought that they had shared everything from their past. "You had a stepsister. You got her on drugs, Scott. You think that's something to just…glaze over?"

Scott turned on her angrily. "You think I'm proud of this? You think I _wanted_ to shout it out to the world? You think, we're having a normal conversation one day, I'm just gonna come out and say, 'Oh, hey, by the way, I have a sister and it's my fault that she's a druggie.' Yeah, that's a good one, Shelb."

"Not like that, Scott!"

"Like how, then?" Scott sank down onto the dirt.

"I don't know," Shelby said, feeling her anger retreat. She hated seeing Scott looking insecure and worried, maybe even scared. She sat next to him, rubbing his back with her hand.

"Shelby, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I should of told you," he insisted. "You told me about your sister."

"It's not a big deal," she said, concerned with his upset manner. "You wanna tell me about her now?"

"I guess," he agreed unenthusiastically. She leaned into him. "She and her mom moved to Seattle when I was a sophomore. I saw her at school, but she was a freshman, and sophomores don't really hang out with freshmen. Our parents started dating very shortly thereafter. So I got to know her. She was nice, kinda a tomboy. I taught her how to play football, and she got me into soccer. We hung out a lot."

"She looked up to you," Shelby added tonelessly, remembering what Janey had said during group earlier.

"Yeah," Scott said quietly. "She did. When Dad and Elaine got married, she became my sister, and we stayed friends. She'd love it when I'd invite her to play football with me and my friends or offer to watch a movie with her or something. I don't know why I made her take the drugs."

"You were protecting yourself," Shelby said. "By making her get hooked, she wouldn't tell."

"Yeah," he said again. "I guess." They were silent for a minute. "It just hurts me to see her here, like this."

"Know what I think?" Shelby asked.

"Huh?"

"She's a lot like you. And that's why it hurts you so much. She's sixteen, a junior, same age as you were when you came. She's suffered through Elaine, just like you. She's been on the same drugs. Same problems. She's very similar."

Scott nodded slowly. "I never knew she knew."

"What?" Shelby asked.

"About me and Elaine."

Shelby didn't know how to respond to that. She shrugged gently, wrapping her arms around Scott, entwining him in a comforting hug.

"Why are you so mad at each other?" she inquired, pulling his head onto her shoulder.

"The last time we really talked consisted of me yelling at her, her yelling at me, me beating her up, and both of us getting high." He sighed, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "After she got into the drugs, she would just come get her stuff on Monday, and we'd ignore each other for the rest of the week. Occasionally, she'd cross my path; I'd get pissed, she'd get pissed, and I'd beat her up."

Shelby winced.

"I just don't know what I'm gonna say to her tomorrow."

"How about…" Shelby hesitated. "I'm sorry."

Scott acted as if he hadn't heard. He sat with his head buried in Shelby's shoulder and didn't move. Slowly, she stroked his hair. Her hatred for Janey ebbed as her understanding grew.


	8. Birthday Cards and Girl Talk

Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground or anything related to it. The only thing I created was Janey.

* * *

Sitting at a table in the arts room was not how Daisy had wanted to spend her afternoon. But it was her father's birthday, and Sophie had thought that it would be a good assignment for Daisy to make him a birthday card.

However, Daisy felt no pangs of inspiration. She sat upright on the stool with both palms flat on the table. Sophie watched her for a full five minutes before speaking.

"Daisy, you aren't leaving this room until I see a satisfactory birthday card," she said sternly. "It's a mandatory assignment. You don't have to be happy about it, but I think that this can benefit you."

"The potential benefits are eluding me," Daisy said dismally.

"Get to work," Sophie ordered, not unkindly. "You aren't leaving till you're done. You can stay in here all day."

"I would like nothing more," Daisy replied, smiling sweetly.

Sophie gave her a look of mild annoyance and left. Daisy left her hands flat on the table and stared straight ahead. On the other side of the room, she could hear the Trackers having a group lesson in art, drawing in 3-D to be exact. At that moment, Daisy would have given anything to swap counselors.

Finally, after several more minutes of sitting rebelliously, she grew resigned and gathered art supplies. Colored paper, markers, and stickers. Returning to her seat, she set out the supplies and stared at them.

The door swung open and David and Ezra walked in, arguing quietly. They sneaked past the class-in-session, and sat on either side of Daisy in the back. Daisy laughed inwardly, keeping her face perfectly straight. She was pretty sure that it had never been Sophie's intention to let those two loose in the same general area. Especially when that general area was right where Daisy was.

"Good afternoon, boys," she said in a mock-cheerful tone. "What's the subject of the latest argument?"

"Movies," Ezra said, glaring at his adversary. "Which is better: _Armageddon_ or _Deep Impact_?"

"_Armageddon_," David said instantly.

"_Deep Impact_," Ezra countered. "It came first."

"They were both released in 1998," Daisy commented.

"_Deep Impact_ in May, and _Armageddon _in July," Ezra corrected. "It came first."

"_Armageddon _has better explosions," David said, relying on his own twisted logic.

"_Deep Impact_ was much more based on a broad range of human beliefs, interactions, relationships, and natures," Daisy said. "It was better in that sense."

Ezra nodded emphatically. "Gotta go there, David."

"Explosions versus relationships?" David said with a tinge of disgust. "Explosions win, man. Better effects."

"Don't say that near Peter," Ezra warned. "He's not big on explosions."

"I know," David said gleefully. Daisy decided she _really _did not want to know.

"Look," she said. "As much as I love mediating your petty conversations, I have to make a birthday card, so I'm gonna ask you to clear out."

"Rejection!" David yelped, getting odd looks from the Trackers and a warning look from the Trackers' counselor.

"How can I say this?" Daisy mused. "Oh, how 'bout, 'beat it, David.'"

He got the idea and left, bopping Ezra on the head as he left. Ezra scooted closer to Daisy. "Card for who?" he asked.

"Dad," Daisy said slowly. "Sophie thinks it will enlighten me. While I believe otherwise, I am supposed to respect her authority over my life and make the stupid card."

Ezra nodded. "Horizon logic: go figure."

"Really," Daisy agreed with a forced chuckle.

"Let me guess," Ezra said. "Having trouble getting started?"

"A bit, yeah."

Ezra grabbed a small container and tossed it at her. Daisy caught it—barely. Ezra couldn't throw footballs or small containers.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Glitter," Ezra said. "Remember when I was in the infirmary?"

"I remember several times when you were in the infirmary," Daisy said, smiling slightly. Ezra's clumsiness often landed him there.

"After the, um, parents-drug incident," Ezra clarified, referring to the time he nearly killed himself with laundry room chemicals after his parents visited.

"Ah yes," Daisy said, her tone bitter.

"You made me a card. With glitter." He smiled at the memory. "I don't know. That glitter just made the card. Sound dorky?" It did, but it also sounded sweet, and Daisy had to laugh.

"Thanks, Ezra."

"Sure." He stood, putting a light, unsure hand on her shoulder. "You probably want some privacy."

Daisy nodded gratefully, and watched him leave. Then she turned back to the paper. A card for dear old dad, she wondered. Crazy.

She chose a black marker and absently started to write.

It was a few hours later that Sophie returned. She had half expected to find Daisy still sitting with her hands flat on the desk, unmoving. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised when the girl shoved a finished card in her face, almost with a tinge of pride, an emotion nearly unknown to the sarcastic Daisy.

The outside said, in block letters, _HAPPY BIRTHDAY_. The letters were filled in with green glitter. Sophie opened it and found a message scrawled in black marker. She read it slowly.

_Dad~ _

_Happy birthday. I know you're not expecting anything from me, but here's a card anyway. I thought it was somewhat symbolic. The card is white, a clear medium, purity representing the talking we never did. The black writing is for the color of my heart when you pushed me away. The green glitter represents growth; the future of our relationship, providing alcohol no longer clouds matters. In that manner, the sparkle of the glitter is hope. I still have hope. _

_~Daisy_

Sophie gave Daisy a smile. "Good work, Daisy."

"Yeah, well, I try," Daisy said. She hopped off her stool. "So, counselor, may I be dismissed?"

"Sure, go ahead," Sophie said. "Cliffhangers are in the dinner hall. You can go eat."

Daisy left the room, not giving her card a second glance. Sophie resolved to show it to Peter before sending it off. 

* * *

It was only eight-thirty when the Cliffhanger girls returned to their dorm, energized by their respective afternoons. Auggie and Juliette had spent time together, as had Scott and Shelby, and Daisy had spent her time in the arts room. Janey had been in the dorm all afternoon. Peter brought her some dinner, then left at her request. She had just wanted to be alone.

Daisy and Juliette called the two shower stalls first and disappeared. Shelby sat on her bed, facing Janey, kicking her heels lightly against her bed. After several moments of a thick silence, she spoke up.

"Janey?"

"Shut up. I don't want to talk to you." Janey lay on her back, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling and said the words with no reflection of emotion in her voice.

"Look," Shelby said, her own voice carrying a slight edge. "I'm not Juliette, and saying stuff like that to me isn't gonna get you anywhere. It doesn't make you more mysterious. It doesn't make you sound more rebellious. It doesn't change how bad I want to talk to you."

Startled, Janey sat up, hanging her own feet over the side of the bed, meeting Shelby's eyes angrily. "Maybe not," she retorted. "But it tells you that I'm _not_ gonna talk to you. Skank."

Shelby bit her lip to force back her furious reply. "Why are you calling me that?"

"That's what you are."

Shaking her head, Shelby said evenly, "No it's not. That's not a reason. You don't even know me. Why are you jumping to conclusions?"

"Who says I am?" Janey asked defiantly.

"Me," Shelby said. "You don't _know_ me."

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because." Janey's voice rose. Her words came out measured, clipped. "You are a skank."

"Why are you saying that?" Shelby heard her own tones rising, and she fought to keep control.

"Because you are! I know your type!" Janey cried.

"What type?" Shelby bit back angrily. Janey had no right to presume.

"Yours!" she was yelling now, and close to tears. "I don't want you to hurt Scott!"

As suddenly as it had come, Shelby's anger vanished completely. She moved to Janey's bed and sat beside her, hands in her lap. Janey's chin trembled.

"Janey…" she said quietly.

"Shut up," Janey whispered. She blinked hard to keep the tears from falling. "Please, just shut up."

"No," Shelby said strongly. "Janey, I know what happened with your mom. I know what she did to Scott and how that hurt him and you. I know about it. But, Janey, I would _never_ do that to him. Because I love him."

"That's what my mother said," Janey choked out quietly.

"But I'm not lying!" Shelby insisted. "Scott means more to me than anything. I can tell him anything. He can tell me anything. We're best friends."

Slowly, Janey looked up. "Did you talk? Today?"

Shelby nodded.

"About me?"

Again, Shelby nodded.

"He hates me, doesn't he?"

"No," Shelby said. "I think, I think he's more worried about you hating him. He feels so bad about the drugs and always beating you up."

"I don't hate him. I couldn't."

"Why not?" Shelby asked. It was something she'd been wondering about. "After all the things he's done to you, you have every right to hate him."

"There've been too many good things with him," Janey said, and then tried to clarify. "We use to hang out. He let me play football with him and his friends. And he snuck me into an R-rated film once. Even though he was underage too. And we got caught, but he covered for me. I read _The Crucible_ for him, for school, and got him an A on that test. There's been so much good. I never had a brother before." She paused. "It's hard to explain. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah," Shelby said, hesitating for a second. "Younger sister. Her name's Jess. I understand perfectly." And she did. Despite how she had not told about their stepfather's abuse, Jess still loved her unconditionally.

"Is Scott in trouble?" Janey asked, breaking the silence. "Sophie looked mad."

"Actually," Shelby answered. "Peter let him off pretty easy. He just has to talk to you."

Janey looked painfully uncomfortable. "What if I don't want to?"

"I think it'll be good for both of you," Shelby said thoughtfully.

At this point, Daisy, who was known for taking the world's quickest showers, emerged from the bathroom. She looked interestedly at the two sitting on Janey's bed.

"I'm sure there's a very interesting story behind this," Daisy said in a slow, testing voice, raising her eyebrows.

Shelby stood and gathered her pajamas, heading for the bathroom. She paused as she walked by Daisy, and gave the other girl a slight smile. Daisy watched her continue into the bathroom, then sat down on her own bed, combing out her wet hair.

"Everything okay?" she asked Janey, who still sat on the edge of her bed.

Janey shrugged and lay down, crawling under the covers. She had taken a shower earlier that afternoon, wanting to wash the entire day away. She shut her eyes, trying to also shut the people out. Scott wasn't mad at her? Shelby wasn't using Scott? The thoughts swirled around in her head.

Daisy watched the younger girl for a few more minutes, then turned away. She wasn't quite sure what had happened between Shelby and Janey, but she knew that something had. Daisy picked up her copy of _The Scarlet Letter_ and began reading the assigned chapters for the next day. 

* * *

Peter came out of the bathroom, his hair still wet from his shower. He'd been climbing the climbing wall all afternoon with the Sundogs, unlike Sophie, who'd had a fairly relaxed afternoon with the Cliffhangers. He walked into the kitchen, where his wife sat at the kitchen table, reading the morning paper belatedly. She sipped at a glass of orange juice and squinted up at Peter as he entered.

"About ready to hit the sack?" he asked.

"Almost," Sophie replied. Peter sat at the table, and Sophie tossed the comics in his direction. Yawning, he caught them and started to read. Suddenly, as if he'd finally been able to phrase something that had been bothering him, he looked up at Sophie. She heard him rustling his paper and put hers down, ready to talk.

"What?" she asked before he could open his mouth.

"Something's been bothering me," he began. "About tomorrow and the whole Scott and Janey thing. Is this really fair to Janey?"

"Yes," Sophie answered firmly. "She needs this as much as Scott does."

Peter nodded, still unsure. "You sure?"

"Mmm hmm," Sophie answered, picking her paper back up. Peter did the same. After a few minutes, she put her paper back down. Peter did the same, looking at her expectantly.

"But about them…" she started, then hesitated. "Do you think that Janey…has a crush on Scott?"

Peter shook his head immediately. "No. I think they see each other as brother and sister. When they refer to each other, they don't typically say 'stepbrother' or 'stepsister,' just brother or sister. She looks up to him, sure, but I don't see anything between them."

Sophie nodded and they picked up their respective papers again.

A few minutes later, she lowered hers. Peter followed suit, watching her curiously. Seeing the quizzical look on his face, she had to laugh. He laughed too. After calming down, she pulled out Daisy's card for her father. Peter took it and looked at it carefully, reading the inside.

_Dad~ _

_Happy birthday. I know you're not expecting anything from me, but here's a card anyway. I thought it was somewhat symbolic. The card is white, a clear medium, purity representing the talking we never did. The black writing is for the color of my heart when you pushed me away. The green glitter represents growth; the future of our relationship, providing alcohol no longer clouds matters. In that manner, the sparkle of the glitter is hope. I still have hope. _

_~Daisy _

"Interesting," Peter said finally. "The whole symbolism thing, very Daisy-esque."

"But the hope…"

"The hope," Peter repeated. "That's a new development. I didn't know she felt that way."

"Neither did I," Sophie said slowly. "Think we should talk to her about it?"

"We should," Peter responded thoughtfully. "This could be something of a breakthrough. If she's willing to try with her dad, maybe it's time for a visit."

Nodding, Sophie said, "Maybe. But I think she needs to have some input. She made the card under duress. I don't know how much she meant it."

"Daisy never says anything that she doesn't mean," Peter said definitely. "She's a very articulate, assured young lady."

"You can say that again," Sophie agreed. "We'll talk to her. Tomorrow."

"Yep." He read his last comic strip. "Ready for bed?"

"Yeah," she said, finally putting the newspaper down. "One of these days, though, I am actually doing to finish the newspaper before it becomes outdated."

"Great goal," Peter teased. "Or maybe you should shoot lower, like me, and just go for the comics."

Sophie laughed, and stood up, taking Peter's hands in her own contentedly.

"I like to aim higher," she said cheerfully, tugging him up. "Greater goals, more challenges."

He grinned at her, smitten, and they kissed.


	9. Talk to Me

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Higher Ground. I just made up the plot and Janey. And thank you all for your reviews. They mean so much to me!

* * *

Scott sat impatiently in Peter's office. He rocked slightly back and forth, feeling the hard wood backing of the chair behind him. It was kind of reassuring to be leaning against something so solid.

The door opened, and Peter entered, his hand on Janey's back, making sure that she kept moving. Despite the short pep talk that he'd just given her, she looked as though she was dreading this meeting with all her heart. Scott kept his face taunt and straight, giving no sign that he so much as recognized his stepsister.

Peter pulled a chair out to face Scott's, leaving about two feet between the two chairs. Janey sat rigidly, and Peter sat on the edge of his desk.

"All right," he said. "I'm gonna get you started, then I expect you can find something—anything—to talk about for ten minutes. Okay?" He got two short nods. "Now, something happened yesterday in group. Janey, you told the Cliffhangers that you two are siblings. You said that you felt guilty about something that you did not do. You wanna start with that?"

Janey had composed herself in preparation ahead of time; she would not let herself cry. She glanced at Scott, who seemed to be looking directly through her, and then at Peter.

"Talk to _him_," Peter said gently, gesturing at Scott.

"Scott, I'm sorry about yesterday," she said quietly. "If you didn't want people to know."

"Too late now, isn't it?" Scott retorted sharply.

Peter gave him a warning look, but Janey jumped in. "I know it is, and I'm sorry. It's not like I can reverse it." She hesitated. "Scott, I really do feel bad. For not doing anything about my mom. She shouldn't have done that to you."

She'd hit a nerve. Scott's eyes narrowed. "You don't understand," he bit out. "She ruined my life! You didn't tell! You didn't do _anything_! You're just as bad!"

"Stop it!" Janey cried. Peter sat poised to jump in. "I didn't know what to do, and the drugs didn't exactly help my reasoning skills!"

"If it weren't for your skanky mom, I wouldn't have been on the drugs," Scott said, his voice trembling with anger. "I wouldn't have been thrown off the football team!"

"That's not my fault!" Janey yelled. She stopped herself. "Scotty, I didn't…"

"Screw this!" Scott said furiously. He stood up. Even looking at Janey's face made him sick. He could see Elaine every time he looked at Janey's eyes. "And screw you!"

Instantly, Peter jumped up, barring Scott's exit. "Check that attitude real fast, Scott!" he said, his voice loud and dangerous. Startled, Scott dropped back into his chair. "You keep your temper in line, where it belongs."

Scott nodded quickly. When Peter got mad, that was the best thing to do. He turned back to his sister.

"I…I talked to Shelby," Janey said in a half-whisper. Scott met her eyes slowly, cautiously. She was looking back, unabashed, and gave a slight head-tilt in Peter's direction. Scott understood instantly: this was not for Peter's ears. He swallowed his doubts, pride, and anger. If she had talked to Shelby, it might be worth talking to her.

"I'll do it," Scott said, looking at Peter. "I'll talk to her, but can you give us some privacy?"

Peter looked at both of them warily. Janey didn't seem to be scared anymore, and Scott seemed suddenly calmer. He nodded. "I'll be right outside, watching through the window. If this gets ugly, I'm coming in." The threat was obvious in his voice. Scott nodded, and Peter left, shutting the door firmly behind himself.

"I'm sorry," Scott said awkwardly. "I just kinda lost it there."

"I hit a nerve," Janey agreed.

"How's the beast?" Scott asked, referring to Elaine.

"Alive." Janey sighed. "Bleached her hair. Thinks it makes her look glamorous."

Scott snorted. "Didn't she marry that…"

"Lawyer," Janey finished. "Her lawyer for your dad and her divorce proceedings. One Jean-Pierre Higgins."

"Terrific," Scott muttered. He looked down. "Why'd she send you here? She hates it here. Here is where they force 'lies' out of you about how your parents abuse you." He said it bitterly and with a sarcastic flavor.

Janey frowned. "She didn't. It was between here and juvie. The courts decided."

"What!?" Scott sat bolt upright. "Juvie!? What'd you do?"

Now it was her turn to look away. "Shoplifting. It was only once. I needed money for drugs."

Scott nodded, his face somber. Janey looked at him and was stricken by how sad he looked. He appeared almost ashamed. He was, she supposed. After all, it had been his fault, starting this whole drug thing.

"I know it was wrong," she continued after a pause. "I apologized, and the store manager eased off some. Gave the court the chance to suggest Horizon. Actually, not suggest. Demand."

"Beats juvie, I guess," Scott said.

"So I'm told," Janey replied.

"It's not so bad here," Scott admitted. "Peter and Sophie are great, and the other guys are too, once you give 'em a chance. It's kinda a break from the real world." She said nothing to that. "What'd Shelby say to you?"

"That she wasn't a skank."

Janey wasn't going to give him an inch, Scott realized. Not unless he fought for it. "Glad we got that straight," he said aloud.

Shrugging, Janey looked at her jeans, playing with a small tear. It got bigger. Scott's level of curiosity was elevated by her hesitance to give details. He tried again. "Shelby's cool, once you talk to her, huh?"

"I guess," Janey replied. Janey herself couldn't decide whether Shelby was someone to trust. The older girl had been nice last night, but Elaine had periods of niceness too. The thing about Scott being Shelby's best friend had thrown Janey off. Would Shelby misuse her self-proclaimed best friend, hurting him? Or was that whole best friend thing a lie? Janey didn't want Scott to be hurt anymore. Especially not when she could stop it.

"Why do you like her?" Janey blurted out suddenly.

"Who? Shelby?"

"Yeah."

"Because…" Scott thought. "She's nice. She sees who I am, where I've been, everything, and she likes me for it. She understands, she listens…she's there for me when I need her. And I do the same for her."

"Have you slept together?" Janey asked bluntly.

Scott wasn't surprised. He'd picked up on Janey's lead. He knew that she was scared of someone hurting him in the same way Elaine had. "No, we haven't. Janey, she isn't like Elaine."

"But, how do you _know_?" Janey asked, worriedly.

"Her stepfather…did that stuff to her."

And Janey's face relaxed somewhat. Scott could see the fear in her eyes that had been there since he had forced drugs on her the first time. It was still there. Janey simply did not know how to trust.

Rising, Scott moved over to her, bending down, hugging her. She rested her head against his shoulder, looking far past him at nothing at all. Peter watched through the window, nodding to himself. If they got along now, maybe Janey would learn to open up to the others at Horizon.

* * *

Sophie had just started the day's class discussion on _The Scarlet Letter_ when Scott and Janey entered. The rest of the kids watched in silence as they sat down next to each other at the end of the row of desks. Sophie cleared her throat.

"Today, we're talking about David's favorite character—"

"Pearl the demon child!" David interrupted at an enthusiastic yell.

Ignoring him, Sophie continued. "Pearl is the child of Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester. She is often said to be a demon child, as we've discussed before. Why's this?"

"Because she often acts a little bit strange," Juliette said.

"She doesn't conform to the Puritan standards," Daisy added. She loved interpretive thinking.

"Very good insights," Sophie praised. "You're right, Pearl doesn't seem like a typical child. She acts strange, unlike the others in the Puritan times. How?"

"She acts on impulse," Janey spoke up. Everyone turned to her, surprised. In truth, she had spent part of the previous day catching up on the reading. "She doesn't care what the other kids think, and if they're mean to her, she stands up for herself and her mother, yelling, throwing mud. And her mother, Hester, lets her get away with it. Hester doesn't care how rude Pearl is."

"Which comes back to bite her." Auggie jumped in, the first to recover from Janey's input. "'Cause whenever Hester wants real bad for Pearl to do something, Pearl does the opposite."

"That's true, both of you," Sophie said, smiling at Janey, who turned her head away in silence and without expression. "Which brings up a new topic. Nature versus nurture. What do you believe in? Does anyone want to define those terms?"

"I will," Ezra offered. "Nature is inborn qualities, saying that you are the way you are because of what was inside of you before you were born. Nurture is how the outside world affects you, like how your parents raised you."

"Exactly," Sophie said. "Now, what do you guys believe? Nature or nurture?"

"Nature," Auggie said immediately. "If I'd grown up somewhere other than the streets, I think I'd be very different."

"Or," Daisy said. "Was it that you were inevitably headed for the streets? And it was an inborn characteristic in you that led you to act the way you did."

"Parents play a big role," Shelby disagreed. "If you have nice parents, you end up one way. If your parents aren't nice, or if they abandon you or mistreat you, you can end up completely different."

Sophie watched Shelby's face, realizing that the girl had come a long way. She was understanding more and more about herself every day.

But Daisy was shaking her head vehemently. "It's all about how you respond to everything. No matter how life treats you, the way that you respond to that treatment is what matters in the end."

"No," Scott disagreed. "You look around at all the people here at Horizon. Most of 'em are here 'cause of parents, older siblings, other people having a bad influence on 'em." He glanced at Janey, who was still looking in the other direction. "It's nurture. If it wasn't for that bad influence, almost everyone here wouldn't be here."

"But," Ezra said, picking up on Daisy's train of thought. "Even the people here who have similar problems react differently. Their reactions are what make them who they are. Not what other people did to them."

"David?" Sophie asked. "You want to connect this to _The Scarlet Letter_?"

"They're both tedious." He grinned. "Listening to this conversation and reading the book."

"That's completely unrelated," Sophie said. She knew that his having ADD was making it hard for him to pay attention, but she had to make sure that he understood the reading assignment. "Tell me about Pearl and whether her personality is affected by the nature or nurture phenomena."

"What are those?"

Drawing in a long breath to help her keep her patience, Sophie got Ezra to explain the two again. David was frowning.

"Nurture," he said. "Because Hester is a crappy mother."

"Language, David," Sophie rebuked. "Why do you think she's a bad mother?"

"She lets Pearl get away with being demon offspring," he said.

Sophie knew that he was just trying to see how many times he could get away with saying some variation of 'demon child,' but she let it go. Juliette hadn't said anything in a while, so Sophie called on her.

"Jules, you want to finish what David started?"

"I think he was trying to say…" she pursed her lips, thinking. "…that it was nurture because Hester wasn't firm or consistent with Pearl. Instead, she kind of let Pearl raise herself."

"Daisy, you want to add your 'nature-perspective'?" Sophie asked, knowing that she would.

"I think that Pearl was born with these qualities. The author says that she was a strange child from the start."

"She was born in a jail cell," Auggie interrupted. "Do you think that that's a normal place for a kid to be born?"

"He's got a point there," Juliette said. "A child born in a jail cell probably would turn out slightly dysfunctional."

"She's not gonna know the difference between a jail cell and a nice, clean hospital room," Ezra protested.

"They didn't exactly have 'nice, clean hospital rooms' back then, Freakin'," Shelby said.

"_Freed_kin!" Ezra said. "And it was just an example."

Seeing several of the kids begin to bristle, Sophie came back into the conversation.

"Okay, that's enough, gang," she said quickly. "Finish the book for tomorrow." Auggie waved a walkman at her. "Or the book on tape," she corrected herself. Auggie's dyslexia made it hard for him to read the book, so he was permitted to listen to it.

As the kids began to disperse, Sophie caught Daisy by the arm.

"What?" Daisy asked. "Didn't we do enough Daisy-torture yesterday?"

"Peter and I want to talk to you for a minute," Sophie explained. "Then you're free."

"I see," Daisy replied. Her tone of voice obviously said, _why are you doing this to me?_


	10. Hope Lives On

Disclaimer: I don't own the Higher Ground characters or anything. I made up Janey and the plotline. And the next new character, who is mentioned in this chapter. Keep up the reviews! I appreciate them!

* * *

In Peter's office, Sophie and Peter stood, facing Daisy, who was sitting on the couch.

"You know, I miss the comfort of sitting back-to-back," she said, referring to how she used to insist that she sat facing away from the counselor to whom she was talking.

"I want this to be direct," Peter said. Daisy raised her eyebrows.

"I showed Peter your card," Sophie said.

"And I also miss the days when no one read my writing," Daisy said. "When I had some level of privacy."

Ignoring her 'film noir narration,' Peter sat next to her. Sophie sat on the other side. Daisy stood up and faced them, unwilling to be flanked.

"What did you say that the glitter represented?" Peter asked.

"Hope," Daisy answered hesitantly, knowing that they were onto something.

"You said that you had hope about your father's relationship with you." Peter looked to her for an affirmative reply.

"I guess," Daisy answered flippantly.

"Don't guess," Sophie said sharply. "You do."

"Why would I lie?" Daisy asked. "Oh yeah, he's the father that abused me. And everyone expects me to forgive."

"We aren't asking you to forgive," Sophie said. "We want to know what you're feeling."

"At this minute, I'm kind of feeling upset that you read my card."

"Daisy," Peter said. "You didn't lie about having hope, did you?"

"It would've been easy for me to—" Daisy said.

"_Did you_?" Peter said with emphasis. This was odd: Daisy never walked around answers. She was always exceptionally direct and articulate.

"Without hope, you have nothing," Daisy whispered. She looked up. "I didn't lie. As much as I hate my father, I have hope. I hope that he will suddenly stop drinking, that he will apologize for yelling at me, that he will be truly sorry for what he did. And yes, I have hope that one day, we will be able to say hi to each other without having an elaborate argument. But it's human nature." She paused, looking straight at Sophie. "I was born with hope, as is everyone in the human race. It's nature over nurture."

Sophie smiled, knowing that Daisy was good at analyzing everything from _The Scarlet Letter_ to herself.

"Your father's been out of rehab for a while now," Peter said. "What do you think about a visit?"

"Me there or him here?"

"Which are you more comfortable with?" Peter asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not ready."

"When are you going to be ready?" Sophie asked. "Because if you want a chance you need to put out a little effort."

"I'm just not ready yet," Daisy repeated.

"Daisy, you're a senior. This is your last year here," Peter said. "That means you'll be leaving."

"Duh," Daisy replied, rolling her eyes.

"After you leave, fixing old relationships is just going to be harder."

Daisy met his eyes. "What part of 'I'm not ready' goes over your head?"

"The meaning it part," Peter answered. They looked directly at each other, as if in a staring contest. Neither wanted to lose: to do so was to yield to the other. Sophie watched in silence. After nearly one long minute, Daisy looked down.

"I'd rather he came here," she said as if she didn't really care. "And not for a long visit."

Peter nodded. "Fair enough. I'll call him this evening."

"Goody!" Daisy said sarcastically. "Something new and exciting to look forward to."

"Daisy, I want you to look at this as an opportunity," Sophie said, reentering the conversation. "Decide carefully how you want it to come out."

Daisy had no sarcastic comments for that, and turned back to Peter. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah," he said, and she left. Peter leaned back on the couch.

"You okay?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah," Peter replied. "There's just too much right now. Most of it's concentrated in the Cliffhangers too. I've got the Janey-Scott thing, Daisy's thing, and now a new admit I'm putting in your group. I know that that goes over the ideal limit of eight kids, but—the other groups are filling up. We need more staff."

"Who is it?" Sophie asked.

"Boy, sixteen years. I haven't had a chance to go through the bulk of his files."

Sophie nodded. "Janey's age. When's he coming?"

"Three days."

"Sounds good," Sophie said, feeling sorry for her husband, who was looking overworked and exhausted.

* * *

After the group discussion on _The Scarlet Letter_, Shelby grabbed Scott and pulled him to their little spot in the woods. She sat on the ground, comfortably leaning against the trunk of a tree, and Scott lay down with his head in her lap. She played with his hair.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Good," he said decisively. "It went good."

"I'm glad," she responded, and she meant it. "So Janey's okay?"

"She's better," Scott said carefully. "Elaine wasn't the nicest person to live with."

"What'd she do to Janey?" Shelby asked.

"Neglect," Scott said shortly. "A lot of ignoring her, forgetting her. I used to pick her up after soccer practice a lot because Elaine just forgot. Can you imagine just _forgetting_ that you had a daughter? It hurt Janey. A lot."

"I can imagine," Shelby said. That was what her own mother had done. Even while her stepfather had been abusing her, her mother had turned a blind eye. It had been Shelby's greatest hour of need, but her mother hadn't been there. "It takes time to heal."

"You sound like Daisy," Scott commented dryly, making Shelby laugh.

Suddenly, there was a crackling sound, and they turned to see Auggie and Juliette enter into the clearing. Scott hurriedly got up and helped Shelby to her feet.

"Sorry," Juliette said. Auggie choked back laughter. "Did we interrupt?"

"Nah," Scott answered hastily. "It's cool. What's up?" He and Auggie gave each other high five, then low five, and then some fancy handshake. Shelby rolled her eyes.

"Rumor has it that there's another new kid coming," Auggie said.

"We just got Janey," Scott said. His forehead creased as he thought. "Isn't this a little soon?"

"Lotta kids come at the beginning of a new school year," Auggie replied.

"Are you and Janey okay?" Juliette asked, looking at Scott.

"We're fine. We talked, it's cool," Scott answered, avoiding her probing eyes.

"A new kid, huh?" Shelby asked, diverting the attention from a thankful Scott.

"Yeah," Juliette responded. "A boy, a year younger than us."

"Janey's age," Scott said thoughtfully.

There was an uncomfortable pause as the two couples watched each other. Finally, Auggie broke the silence.

"You guys want us to leave?"

"Nah," Scott answered. "Me and Shelb'll head back."

"One last thing," she said, planting a gentle kiss on Scott's lips. He smiled. "Can't exactly do that on campus."

"Not really," Scott agreed. They took each other's hands and walked slowly out of the woods. Both knew that, at the edge of the woods, they would have to drop hands, but for now, they savored it.

Watching them leave, Auggie and Juliette smiled at each other. After the coast was clear, they sat on the ground, cross-legged, facing each other, their knees touching.

"I hope the new kid's cute," Juliette said teasingly.

"I hope he isn't," Auggie said, also teasing. He was secure in his faith in Juliette. She pouted prettily at him, and he laughed comfortably.

"Know what I'm thinking about?" Juliette asked after Auggie's laughter had ceased.

"Not yet," he joked, and she lightly slapped his knee.

"Katherine." Juliette was referring to a former Cliffhanger who had graduated the previous year. She was now at a small college in Massachusetts, and she wrote often.

"Get a letter from her?" Auggie asked.

"Yup," Juliette answered. "She makes college sound so wonderful. She's really happy there."

"That's great," Auggie said, and he meant it. Kat was a sweet individual, and everyone at Horizon had loved her dearly. "She ever think about visiting?"

"Someday," Juliette replied. "But not yet. This is her first year and everything. She says it's fun, exciting, but a lot of hard work."

"Good," Auggie said. "I mean, about the fun and excitement. Not the hard work."

"Sometimes," Juliette said slowly. "Hard work takes us where we need to go."


	11. Another Newbie

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters from Higher Ground. I made up Janey, Keith, and Mrs. Morgan. As usual, thank you for your reviews. You readers are groovy!

* * *

It was three days later that Janey finally unpacked. Before, she had lived out of her suitcases. Now, she realized that she would be here for a while. It was free time, and the dorm was empty. She pulled out her bags, one at a time, and took her clothes, placing them neatly into the drawers of her small allotted dresser. Then she placed a framed newspaper cutout of the USA women's soccer team winning the world championships on top of the dresser. Her mother hadn't shoved much else into the bag.

She could distinctly remember the packing. Her mother had been throwing clothes and toiletries into the bag, yelling the entire time about ungrateful daughters bringing shame upon the whole family. Janey had been sitting silently in a chair nearby, watching and listening, all the while pretending she was elsewhere.

Now, shaking her head clear of the memories, Janey pulled out her walkman and tape collection. She had Beach Boys, Bee Gees, the Monkees, the Turtles, and those other ones. Carefully, she selected the Turtles. Putting the headphones on, she could hear the familiar chords of "Happy Together," one of her favorite songs. She knew all the words, but she didn't sing. Instead, the homemade tapes caught her eye.

There were three. One she had made of entirely old jazz songs when she went through her jazz phase at age twelve. She winced now, remembering that. The next one had been made from the radio, random songs including "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher, and "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels. The third…she'd never listened to that one. Not since making it.

Slowly, reflecting, she lifted that one. And she stuck it in her breast pocket. She was wearing a shirt that she'd stolen from Scott's closet a long time ago, a button-down, plaid one. The breast pocket seemed a safe place for the tape. For now.

Removing the headphones, she packed the walkman and the other tapes back into her suitcase, which she then shoved under her bed. Looking over her work, she almost smiled. But the tape in her pocket stopped her.

Now was no time for smiling. There was something she had to do. Janey left the dorm with a purpose.

* * *

It was eleven-thirty in the morning. Peter was behind on his paper work and had just spilled coffee on several documents. As he was mopping it up, his intercom buzzed.

"Peter, you got a phone call on line two."

"Thanks, Janine," he replied. Dropping the dripping paper towel in the garbage, he picked up the phone.

"Hello, Horizon High, Peter Scarbrow speaking."

"Mr. Scarbrow? It's John…Lipenowski."

"Mr. Lipenowski," Peter said, feeling relieved. "Been trying to reach you for the last three days."

"Is it about Daisy?" he asked. Was that concern in his voice? "Is she okay?"

"Daisy's fine," Peter answered quickly. "I was calling to find out if you wanted to pay a visit. We think that Daisy's at a time when that could be very beneficial."

"Me? Visit there?" John wanted to know. "At that school?"

"Yes," Peter responded patiently. "Dais' said that she would be more comfortable if you came here than if she went home."

"She wants me to come?" Suspicion hardened Daisy's father's tone.

"I think she's ready," Peter said, sidestepping the question.

"Okay," John said. "When should I come? I have a week off in a week. Should I come up then?"

"That'd work well," Peter said.

His intercom went off again as Janine's voice broke his conversation. "Peter, the new people are here to see you."

"Thanks, send 'em in," Peter called back, then returned to his phone call. "Listen, Mr. Lipenowski…"

"John," John corrected. "I understand; you're busy. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, right?"

"Yeah, that's perfect," Peter said.

"Bye," John said.

"Bye," Peter replied, hanging up the phone.

A sixteen-year-old boy and his mother stood in the doorway. The boy was lanky, fairly tall and had green eyes and straight light brown hair that flopped slightly into his eyes and down his neck—a moptop that made Peter think of the Beatles. He wore a black T-shirt and baggy jeans. Peter made a mental note to confiscate the metal chain from around his neck. It could be used as a weapon. Peter rose and shook hands, first with the mother, then with the boy, who seemed rather polite.

"I'm Peter Scarbrow," he said.

"I'm Tracy Morgan, and this is my son Keith," the woman said, gesturing at herself, then at her son. Then she nudged her son. "Keith, manners."

"How do you do, Mr. Scarbrow?" Keith mumbled, looking at his hands nervously.

"Peter, please," Peter said. "We're pretty informal here. And I'm feeling great today, Keith. How about you?"

"Fine," he said unintelligibly, but at least he was talking.

"All right," Peter said. "I'm going to hand you over to Sophie, your counselor, and she'll check your bags and stuff, get you processed. She should be here any second."

"Why does she need to check?" Keith asked, his eyes flashing suddenly. "I'm not on drugs or anything."

"Just a precautionary thing," Peter assured him.

The door swung open then, and Peter looked up, expecting to see Sophie. Instead, Janey stood there. Peter faintly heard someone calling after here, asking her to stop, but Janey looked like she was on a mission.

"Janey?" His voice formed the question, but it also held a slight reprimand. "I'm busy right now. Can you wait?" The last part wasn't really a question, Janey could tell, but it didn't matter to her.

"No," she said firmly. Her eyes swept across the room, taking in the boy and his mother.

"Excuse me for just a sec," Peter said apologetically, catching Janey's wrist and leading her from the room. In the hallway, he turned on her. "Janey, when I'm busy with other people, you aren't supposed to come in my office."

This seemed to go in one ear and out the other. "This can't wait anymore, Peter," she said firmly. "I need to talk to you right now. It's an emergency."

"What's an emergency?" Sophie asked, coming up.

"Ah, Soph," Peter said, relaxing a bit. "Could you take Keith for his check?"

"Sure thing," she said, disappearing into the office.

Peter bent slightly, putting his hands on each of Janey's shoulders. "Is anyone hurt?"

"No."

"Are you in pain?"

"No."

"Did someone tell you to get me for help?"

"No."

"This is not an emergency," Peter said levelly. "Sit down." She slid down, her back against the wall. He crouched down in front of her, looking directly into her face. "Janey, hold your thought for just a minute. I've got to talk to Keith's mom for a while…"

"You don't understand," Janey insisted in a whisper. She pulled the tape out of her pocket and shoved it at him.

"What's this?" Peter asked, taking the tape from her. He read the label. "Oldies Mix number three. Janey…"

"Please, Peter," she pleaded, almost inaudible.

Peter's office door opened, and the two looked up from the ground to see Sophie leading Keith off to the check-in room. Sophie raised her eyebrows at her husband, who was looking back up at her grimly, squatting on his heels.

"Mrs. Morgan's in there waiting, Peter."

"I know," he said. He stood and nodded to Sophie, who left with Keith. Janey watched Peter from the floor.

"What's on this tape?" Peter asked. Janey was silent. Giving her a look, he said, "I'm talking to Mrs. Morgan for a minute, then you and I are going to have a long discussion. Got it?"

Janey couldn't tell whether she was supposed to feel happy or threatened by that. She settled for a short nod, leaning against the wall

Peter reentered his office and was given an understanding smile by Mrs. Morgan.

"Sorry about that. She needs to talk," he explained.

"I understand," she replied. "That just makes me feel all the more comfortable about leaving Keith here."

"You want to tell me a little about Keith? I read his file, but I want your input."

"Sure," she said. "Let's see. He used to be such a friendly, happy boy, but lately…I don't know. I think he's been hanging out with the wrong people. He's sullen, hard to talk to, withdrawn. I barely recognize him."

"Do you think it's drugs?" Peter asked. "There's no record of it, but…"

"No," she said quickly. "Not Keith. His grandfather was killed by lung cancer. Keith knows better than to smoke or do drugs. It's just a period of rebellion, right?"

"I hope so," Peter said. He jotted down a few notes.

"I hate to rush this," Mrs. Morgan said. "But I need to get going. I left my other son and my daughter alone in the hotel room. Keith didn't want them to come."

"Okay," Peter said. He put his notepad down and stood, shaking the woman's hand. "You want to say goodbye to Keith? A quick tour?"

"No, thanks. I saw the virtual tour on your website, and Keith…we already said goodbye. I think he doesn't want me to embarrass him. If I have to say goodbye, I'll start crying. And that always embarrasses him." She gave Peter a weak smile.

"I completely understand," Peter said, smiling back. He didn't think that it was the parents—or not the mother at least—that were causing Keith issues. She seemed very kind and understanding of her son's feelings. Still, Peter hesitated to jump to conclusions.

Peter moved to hold the door for her, and she left. Peter stared down at Janey, still sitting on the hall floor, looking set and resolved. "All right, your turn," he said, gesturing her in.

* * *

Sophie sat in a chair across from Keith, meeting his eyes with her own experimentally. He watched her.

"The rules here are pretty strict, but there aren't a lot of 'em. No violence, sex, drugs, or inappropriate touching. Chores are shared by everyone, including staff. Talking to any counselor is safe. Whatever you say stays between us, unless we suspect violence or illegal activity, which we have to report to the authorities."

Keith nodded, his hair flopping a bit.

Sophie sifted through his bags. She hadn't found anything.

"There's no drugs," Keith said softly. "I'm not on anything."

"It's just a precautionary measure," she said. "Legal stuff." She removed several rolls of toilet paper and a can of silly string from one bag. He looked slightly ashamed.

"I haven't unpacked from spending the night at my friend's last night."

"I see," Sophie said. "There's to be no vandalism here, Keith. Toilet paper belongs in the bathroom. Silly string doesn't belong."

He nodded shamefacedly, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

Finishing her search, Sophie put his bags down. She had confiscated the toilet paper, silly string, a few water balloons, a carton of eggs, and his heavy chain necklace. "You've been put in the Cliffhanger group. That's my group. After your physical, come on back to Peter's office, and I'll get someone to be your buddy for a couple of days." She stood and walked toward the door.

Turning back, she caught his eye. "Keith, it's normal to be a little scared. Everyone is at first. But we're all here for you. Got it?" A nod. "Okay. Get undressed and a doctor'll come in for your physical. I'll see you in Peter's office in a bit, okay?"

"Yeah."

She left, and Keith began pulling off his socks. She had already made him take off his shoes. This was degrading. He wasn't on drugs. If this was a druggie school, he didn't belong here. Biting his lip, he threw one of his shoes across the room, noting the black mark it made on the wall. He'd acted like a crybaby in front of that counselor. And she was pretty cute too. It was okay to be scared? Whatever. Fear was weakness. Fear was for babies. Keith was no baby. And he wasn't scared.


	12. A Little Crush

Disclaimer: I don't own any Higher Ground Characters. I made up Janey and Keith. And Garrett. The usual.

* * *

Turning the tape over and over in his hands, Peter watched Janey's face. He'd been waiting for a response for four minutes and counting.

"Janey?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

Peter picked up the phone. He dialed.

"Wait," Janey said, but someone had already answered.

"Hello? This is Peter Scarbrow from Mount Horizon…uh huh…sure…Well, I've got a kid here who needs to report child abuse…No, her stepbrother, but she was a witness…Okay, that sounds good…Really, that soon?…sure…Bye."

He hung up. "They know me. They're sending someone down in an hour or so. Someone's nearby for another case. You want to stick it out?"

"Can I stay here?" she asked pitifully.

"That's fine," he replied. She reclined on the couch, and he turned back to his paperwork.

Twenty minutes later, he noticed that Janey was fast asleep. Sophie entered, and he put a finger to his lips. She came over, and they held a whispered conversation.

"What's her story?"

"Wait on that one. I want you here when the CPS people come."

"What!?"

"Shh!" Peter warned. "She wants to give her two cents about her stepmother and Scott."

"Does Scott know?"

"Nope," Peter said. "And I don't want him to yet. This is for Janey. I want to wait and hear what she says."

"Okay," Sophie agreed.

"How's Keith?" Peter asked.

"Polite," Sophie said thoughtfully. "A little more polite than I'd expected."

"His file says bare minimum about him," Peter said. "Stats; that he was in therapy for a couple years."

"Therapy?"

"With a psychiatrist. It was for family issues, but the paperwork didn't elaborate, and the doctor's office wouldn't disclose any information to me. His mother was reluctant to talk about it on the phone."

"Interesting," Sophie mused. They were quiet for a few minutes, then Sophie spoke up again. "You get a partner for Keith yet?"

"How about Auggie?" Peter asked.

"Okay with me," Sophie said. "I'll go grab him. When Keith comes back, tell him I'll be here in a few."

"Sure," Peter said, and Sophie left. Peter got back to work.

Ten minutes later, Sophie came back with Auggie. He looked cheerful. "So I really don't gotta finish chopping the wood if I show the newbie around?"

"That's it," Sophie said, winking at Peter. Then, remembering, she gestured for Auggie to be quiet and pointed at the still-sleeping Janey.

"What's up with her?" Auggie asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Aug," Peter said quietly, giving Auggie a meaningful look. "She needs some time to sort through some stuff."

"Cool by me, man."

There was a soft knock, and Sophie opened the door for Keith, making the necessary introductions.

"Keith, this is Auggie. Auggie, Keith. Auggie's going to be your buddy for the first few days, all right?" Keith nodded. "Auggie, you take him to the dorm, show him around, introduce him to the Cliffhangers."

"Will do," Auggie promised, grabbing two of Keith's bags, leaving just one for the other boy. He then held the door for Keith. After the new boy had exited, he turned to Peter and said in a low voice, "Hey, I'm here for Janey. We all are. Let her know."

"Thank you, Auggie," Peter said warmly. It was when kids did something like that that made it all worthwhile.

* * *

Waiting impatiently outside Peter's office, Juliette shifted from foot to foot. It was very cold, and the sky was clouded over. But at least it wasn't raining.

Auggie exited the main lodge with Keith and walked toward Juliette. He gestured at the long-legged boy beside him.

"Jules, this is Keith, the newbie. Keith, this is Juliette, my girl." As if to punctuate the claim, he gave her a quick hug, checking to see if there were any counselors in sight. There weren't. Juliette, after being released, offered her hand to Keith, who shook it shyly, aware of the unspoken threat in Auggie's tone. Juliette was not to be messed with.

"Where's everyone?" Auggie asked.

"Daisy's in the main lodge, trying to teach Ezra geometry, but he's too busy drooling over her to learn," Juliette said, giggling. "Scott's teaching Shelby how to throw a football. I don't know about Janey. I think she said she was going to unpack. And David's getting on the nerves of everyone in the Wind Dancer group."

"Sounds like our man David," Auggie replied, shaking his head. "Wanna help me show Keith here around?" Juliette nodded, smiling kindly at the nervous newcomer.

They went first to the field, where Shelby was leaning back against Scott, letting him hold her arm in a position from which she could supposedly throw the football. Both were laughing. Juliette was pretty sure this constituted inappropriate touching.

Keith, on the other hand, only saw Shelby. The shine of her long, blond hair. The glow of her smile. The flash of joy in her eyes. She was perfect in his mind. He watched her as she laughed giddily with a tall, blond boy, and he felt a wave of jealousy. Fighting it angrily, he bit hard on his lip, tasting blood.

The pair saw Juliette, Auggie, and Keith approach, and separated reluctantly. Scott tossed the football from hand to hand.

"Hey guys," Juliette said.

"What's up?" Scott asked. "This the new kid?"

"Yeah," Auggie confirmed. "Keith. Keith, this is Scott, and this is Shelby."

"H-hi," Keith stammered, immediately embarrassed by his inability to sound remotely human around a pretty girl.

Shelby raised her eyebrows at him. "Here for a stuttering problem?"

"Shelby, that's mean," Juliette said angrily as Keith blushed.

Scott noted the obvious look on Keith's face, and his own face darkened. He drew Shelby closer, hugging her tightly to his body.

"Scott, Shelby, I need to see air between you," Sophie reprimanded, coming up behind the small group. The couple obediently separated. "Auggie, the tour going okay?"

"Yeah," he said. "We're cool. Gonna go find Daisy and E-Z."

Sophie nodded. Juliette, Keith, and Auggie headed off toward the main lodge. She turned back to Scott and Shelby.

"I know this is a stressful time," she began sternly, and the two teens braced themselves for a patented Sophie Scarbrow lecture. "But there is to be no…_no_…inappropriate touching. I can go for a hand squeeze, a hug, a pat on the back. No clutching or…_excessive_…hugs. Watch the hands. I think you guys understand the difference between what's acceptable and what is not."

Scott scuffed his toe on the ground, fixing his eyes on it. Shelby looked straight at Sophie, unflinching, unblinking.

"Got it?" Sophie asked. "Scott?" Scott looked up and nodded once. She softened toward him, picking up on his emotions. "I know it's hard right now. I know you're stressed, I know you're mixed up. And it's good that you're so supportive of each other. But do it verbally, please." She made sure that she got two confirming nods. "Good. Scott, Auggie's wood needs to be finished chopping. Shelby, life jackets need sorting by size in the kayak barn."

"Auggie should finish his own—" Scott began.

"Scott." The single, sharp syllable got him moving. He left the other two on the field, heading unenthusiastically to the woodshed.

Shelby stared at Sophie. "He's hurting."

"I know," Sophie answered. "And you're doing a good job with him, Shelb." The teen was silent. "You're a true friend."

"I'm trying," Shelby said softly. "The whole Janey thing…"

"I know," Sophie repeated, comfortingly. "It's hard on him. It's hard on her. And it's hard on you. But you're strong, Shelby. You all are."

"Coulda fooled me," Shelby said flippantly with a lopsided grin that effectively masked her feelings. She walked away, toward the kayak barn.

Sophie watched her go, feeling a mixture of exasperation and sorrow. Every time she thought that she might have broken through Shelby's defenses, Shelby hit her with a sarcastic remark. But it was obvious that Shelby cared very much for Scott, who was going through a time of tumult himself.

A cheerful looking boy approached her. "Hey, Sophie?"

"Yeah?" she asked, trying to remember the boy's name. Garrett. That was it. He was in the Sundog group.

"Peter wants you."

"'Kay. Thank you, Garrett," she replied, giving Shelby's retreating back one final look before following Garrett back to Peter's office.


	13. The Tape

Disclaimer: I don't claim any ownership of any Higher Ground characters. I created Janey, Keith, and Officer Kaye. Thank you for taking the time to review. I appreciate it so much.

* * *

Janey blinked at the CPS official, whom she had been told to call Officer Kaye, from her seat on the couch. Peter handed the man the tape. He glanced at it. "Oldies Mix number three?"

"Yeah," Janey said. She felt a lump in her throat and swallowed at it, hard. This was not for her, she reminded herself. It was for Scott. She had lied for so long; it was time to come clean and do the right thing.

Officer Kaye slipped the tape into the tape deck that Peter provided. Janey looked everywhere but the man's eyes. Peter sat down beside her on the couch, his presence comforting. Sophie stood unobtrusively across the room. She knew that Janey did not really want her there.

Janey's voice, clear and matter-of-fact, filtered through the tape deck and into the room.

_"My name is Janey Barringer. I live in Seattle, Washington with my mother, Elaine, my stepfather, Martin, and my broth—stepbrother Scott. It's eleven-thirty pm on Wednesday, October thirteenth, 1999." _

Hearing herself state the facts, Janey felt like it was Wednesday, October 13, 1999 all over again.

_~Flashback~ _

_"I'm in my room on the second floor of our house." Janey said softly into the recorder. She had no idea what all she needed to say. "My mother just went into the next door room…That's Scott's." Her voice broke slightly and softened to a whisper. "I'm going to move to the doorway." She did so quietly, crouching outside the door, holding the recorder toward the room._

_"Scotty?" Elaine's voice asked clearly. _

_Janey heard a rustle of bedsheets and Scott's tired, frightened voice. "You said no more." _

_"Scotty, I was scared of the storm." _

_"It rains here, get used to it," Scott replied, but Janey could hear honest fear through the bold words. _

_"Just say you love me," Elaine wheedled. "Just say it once, Scotty." _

_"Stop calling me that!" _

_"Say you love me," she pleaded. _

_"I can't," Scott whispered brokenly. "Don't make me. I just can't." _

_"Write it down," she begged. "On this paper. Just write it. I need to know you love me." _

_"No," Scott said. "It's not right." _

_"I'll tell," Elaine threatened suddenly. "I'll tell your father. I'll tell him you forced me. That you made me. Who do you think he'll believe? A grown woman who he loves, or a spoiled brat of a teenager? Huh?" _

_"Please don't tell." Now Scott was begging. Janey knew he had lost. "Don't tell him. He'd kill me." _

_"Then write," Elaine demanded. She had the control now, and Janey knew she would flaunt it. "Write me a love letter, Scotty, or I'll tell your dad. Make it good. You better mean it." Her voice softened. "You know you want me, Scotty. You know it." _

_"I don't want you, skank!" _

_"Write it," Elaine said, her voice dangerous, the playful edge gone. _

_Scott had begun to sob quietly, and Janey heard the scratch of a pencil on paper. She swallowed at the lump constricting her throat and felt the tape recorder in her sweaty fingers. Several minutes later, there was a rustle of paper as Scott threw the letter at Elaine. _

_"Good boy," Elaine purred. "Ready for your reward?" _

_"Please," Scott implored, sobbing. "Please just leave me alone. What if they hear us? I don't want this. Please, Elaine." _

_"You better be quiet then," Elaine said, and Janey heard the rustle of bedsheets again. She put the recorder down by the door, still recording, and squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands over her ears. It blocked everything out. Blissful silence filled her head, and she felt her own chest heaving. _

_It was wrong. The wrongness of it gripped Janey's heart with horror and twisted her stomach. She felt like she had to retch, but she wouldn't let herself. Pressing her hands harder against her ears and squeezing her eyes tighter, she forced herself to accept the false security. _

_All she needed was the tape. _

_~End Flashback~ _

Her hands pressed against her ears, her eyes shut tight in fear and horror, her body wracking with silent sobs, Janey huddled into the couch. Peter had an arm wrapped tightly around her, realizing the pain that Elaine had put her daughter and her stepson through. He understood their scars, and wanted more than ever to help.

Slowly, he pried Janey's hands from her afflicted ears, and pulled her into his arms more completely. The tape had ended, and Officer Kaye removed it slowly, placing it into a labeled plastic bag.

He sat in a chair across from Peter and Janey. Janey, her eyes damp and her face streaked, watched him quietly, her body still shaking with an occasional sob.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I f-feel s-sick," Janey choked out.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Kaye asked, his voice filled with compassion but down-to-business. He didn't get an answer. Glancing at Peter, who shrugged, he continued. "You taped this almost two years ago, Janey. Why wait until now?"

"I'm sorry," she said, hiccupping. "Really."

"No one's mad at you," Peter said reassuringly. "We're just wondering why you waited to tell us. To tell anyone."

"She…she was my mother," Janey whispered. "And I hated her so much. But I loved her too much to do it."

"Were you on drugs when you made this?" Kaye asked.

"No," she said quietly, but firmly. Stating the known facts grounded her, comforted her. "I got on them a few weeks later."

"Was your mother, to your knowledge, on drugs?"

"No," Janey said. "She was allergic to a lot of stuff, and most drugs would've killed her."

"Was your stepbrother?"

"Yes." She paused. "I think he started around then."

"Does Scott know you made this tape?"

"No."

"Did your mother ever do anything to you?"

Janey didn't answer for a while. She thought. "What kind of things?"

"Hit you? Yell at you? Abandon you?"

"She never hit me," Janey insisted.

"What about the others?" Kaye pressed gently.

"She forgot me sometimes," Janey said slowly. She fingered the hole in her jeans nervously. "Like at soccer practice. Or didn't make me dinner. She yelled too. She called me stuff, you know, cussed me out, said I ruined her life. Sometimes, she'd lock me in my room. There was a lock on the outside of the door, and she'd lock me in there for hours. Once, she left me in there for a whole day. I finally crawled out the window, fell off the roof, and broke my arm."

Peter cringed. Janey was a victim of neglect and verbal abuse. He met Sophie's look. His wife was both downcast and taken aback.

Jotting down a few notes, Kaye looked back at Janey. "Did you ever confront her about Scott's abuse?"

"No," Janey whispered. She looked down before continuing. "But I wish I had. I wish I'd told and this had never happened. Scott never got kicked off the football team, he never got on drugs, I never got on drugs. All of it. It's my fault for not telling."

"Janey," Peter said firmly, forcing her chin up, making her look in his face. "You are not to blame for your mother's poor choices. You are not to blame for Scott's poor choices. You are your own person and responsible only for your own choices. Understand?"

"I made a poor choice by not telling," she insisted.

"But you're making up for that now," Sophie said, cautiously speaking up for the first time. "You did the right thing by coming to us about it."

"She's right," Officer Kaye said kindly. "All too often, we find kids who don't speak up. You're one of the lucky ones. By you telling what happened, you allow me to help you. And I will."

"With the tape?" Janey asked.

"This tape is going to be the most helpful factor in convicting your mother of child abuse," Kaye answered. "It was very smart of you to make it."

Janey nodded, still looking somewhat uncomfortable, yet she was resolved. She had done the right thing in ratting out her mother. The right thing for Scott, for her mother, and for herself.

"Can I go please?" she asked. "I'd just like to lie down."

"Sure," Peter said. "You can go on to your dorm."

"Thanks," she said, leaving the comfort of his embrace. On her way out the door, she paused by Officer Kaye, as if plagued by an afterthought. "I hate her."

After the door had shut quietly behind her, Kaye gathered up his belongings. "I'll call you, Mr. Scarbrow, and let you know if she needs to testify in court."

"Thank you, Officer Kaye," Peter responded. He stood to shake hands with the CPS officer and show him out. Afterwards, Sophie came over to him and hugged him for a long time.


	14. Fight! Fight!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Higher Ground characters. But I made up Janey and Keith.

* * *

Jabbing her pencil lead triumphantly at the geometric proof, Daisy smirked at Ezra. "And _that _is the answer!"

"I see," Ezra said slowly. He really understood every bit of math that had been taught earlier that morning, but he just couldn't pass up an opportunity to be tutored by Daisy.

"So you get it now?" she asked.

"Yup," he replied, looking at her rather than the paper. "Sure do."

"Good," she said.

"I was also kinda wondering—"

Ezra was cut off as Auggie, Juliette, and Keith came over. He leaned back, frustrated.

"Hey Ezra, Daisy!" Juliette said cheerfully. "This is Keith. He's the new kid."

"Ah, the infamous 'new kid,'" Daisy said, giving him a practiced once-over. Keith watched her nervously. Daisy's once-overs were apt to make people nervous.

Ezra stood and offered his hand. Keith shook it. "Good to meet you," Ezra said politely. He sensed Keith's timidity.

"You too," Keith muttered, his eyes trained fearfully on Daisy.

"Yo, man, she don't bite." Auggie chuckled. Keith looked away, instantly ashamed of himself. He mentally kicked himself for being so shy.

"Did I frighten you?" Daisy asked, looking amused.

"No," Keith answered quickly.

"Rumor's going around that you're gettin' a visitor," Auggie said to Daisy, changing the subject.

"My, good news travels fast," Daisy said brightly. "And bad news travels faster."

"Your dad?" Juliette asked.

"Yep," Daisy replied. "Dear old Dad. Supposedly, a visit from the man who has no inkling of fatherly emotions will awaken a fervor of healing in me."

Keith winced at that. It sounded like she hated her father. And judging from the sympathetic, understanding looks that others were giving her, they had problematic parents too. His mother had been wrong: he wouldn't fit in here. He wasn't on drugs, didn't hate his parents with a passion. He _didn't_ belong here.

Auggie had an eye on Keith and saw the flash of frustration in his expression. "Come on, man. I'll show you the dorms."

Keith nodded his consent. Juliette patted Auggie's shoulder. "I'll hang out here for a bit," she said.

"Okay," Auggie agreed, hoisting two of Keith's bags. Keith grabbed the last and followed Auggie out of the lodge.

Juliette collapsed into a chair across from Ezra and next to Daisy. The latter two looked at her expectantly.

"He's kinda weird," Juliette said, a thoughtful expression clouding her typically cheerful features.

"Really shy," Ezra added.

"There's a strange aura around that one, indeed," Daisy intoned. "I'll have to read in on him."

Juliette rolled her eyes, and Ezra gazed at Daisy patronizingly.

* * *

Dropping the bags on the floor, Auggie gestured broadly at the dorm room.

"This is it, man. Home sweet home." He flopped onto his bed. Keith watched him. "Get used to it. People who come here tend to stick around for a while."

Keith sat gingerly on the edge of the only empty bed. This Auggie person seemed nice enough.

"Who was that girl in Peter's office?" he asked, then wished he hadn't.

"Name's Janey," Auggie replied. He looked at Keith suspiciously. "Why?"

"Just curious," Keith said hastily.

Auggie's hard features softened slightly. "I saw you makin' eyes at Shelby. Scott don't take too well with people messin' with his girl."

"I wasn't," Keith protested, but he knew he was cornered.

"Just letting you know," Auggie said, throwing his hands up.

To change the subject, Keith said, "Did I meet everyone?"

"Almost," Auggie said. He made a face. "There's still David."

"David?" Keith asked. "What's wrong with him?"

"Most annoying pain in the butt you'll ever meet," Auggie said, raising his eyebrows.

Keith laughed briefly. He hoped that he sounded normal.

But Auggie was looking at him with obvious curiosity. "You're pretty cool for a newbie," he said slowly. "You know, most new kids don't talk, or maybe they flip out."

Keith snorted softly. "I don't belong here," he said, more to himself than to Auggie.

"That's what they all say." Auggie laughed genially. "We all got our own problems. We all got some reason for belongin' here. I'm sure you're not that far off, man."

Turning away, looking instead at the wall, Keith wondered why Auggie was in here. But he was not about to ask. As nice as he sounded, Auggie looked tough. Keith wasn't going to challenge that. But the silence between them thickened to a point of awkwardness, and before he knew it, he'd asked.

"Why are you here?"

Auggie looked slightly surprised. "I'll tell you, but _you_ gotta tell me why _you're_ here," he said, his own curiosity growing.

"I don't know why I'm here," Keith insisted.

"That's not gonna get you far with Peter," Auggie warned. "He always wants specifics. You don't know specifics, he wants your opinion."

Keith lay back on his bed uncomfortably. Auggie watched him for a few more minutes before shrugging and rising. "I'll be in the main lodge if you need anything," he said. Maybe Keith just needed some time alone. "Feel free to join us all."

Auggie left the room, and Keith rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow. He didn't cry, didn't sleep, but he lay there.

About a half-hour later, he heard footsteps, then a yell of faked, over-exaggerated enthusiasm. Keith looked up to see a dark-haired boy of seventeen jumping on a bed nearby his. Scott, the same blond boy from before, had also entered and was sitting on the bed directly across from Keith's, watching the dark-haired boy's antics with mild amusement.

Keith got up quickly and moved to the side of the dark-haired kid's bed. He caught the older boy's wrist, arresting the jumping action. The dark-haired boy jerked himself away, looking at Keith as if he were some kind of creep.

"I don't like to be touched," he said in a clipped tone.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Keith said soothingly. "I just didn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Yo," Scott said, rising and facing off against Keith. The teens were nearly the same height, but at 6'2, Scott had about two inches on the younger boy. "He's not a retard."

Keith's face tightened into one of fury. "Don't you ever say that!"

"What?" Scott asked, smirking. "Retard? Why? Are you one?" His sardonic smile vanished, and he looked angry. "I saw you lookin' at Shelby. Don't even think about it, retard."

"Shut up!" Keith yelled.

He launched himself at Scott, punching the taller boy in the face, knocking him to the ground. Keith dropped onto him and threw punch after punch at his face. Scott, regaining his senses after the initial surprise, pushed back. They rolled on the floor, taking turns having the upper hand.

The dark-haired boy sat on the foot of his bed, watching in silence, but grinning away.

Barely a few minutes after the fight started, Peter, who seemed to have a built-in radar for fights, barged into the dorm, followed by Sophie and Roger. Peter lifted Keith off of Scott and thrust him at Roger, who pulled him back, wrapping his burly arms around Keith from behind in a sort of restraining hug. Keith struggled for a moment, then realized what was happening and fell limp. Peter caught Scott by both of his shoulders, forcing the boy to look him in the eyes. Scott was bleeding lightly from the mouth. Sophie gave him a tissue. Roger had handed Keith a tissue for his bloody nose, and the younger boy had an arm curled tightly against his sore stomach, where Scott had gotten in several successive punches.

"What's goin' on, Scott?" Peter demanded furiously, meeting Scott's angry eyes with his own. Then, as though he realized now wasn't the best time, he set Scott firmly down onto his bed and turned to the dark-haired teen. "David, out."

Keith realized that this must be David, the one he had been warned against. David went out reluctantly, sorry to be missing the fireworks.

"Keith, take a seat," Peter said, gesturing at the bed directly across from Scott's. Roger released him, and Keith sat down nervously. His parents would kill him if he got kicked out of a school for rejects, he thought miserably.

"It wasn't my fault—" Scott began quickly.

Peter made a brief gesture with his hand, and Scott was instantly silenced. Keith looked down and blinked rapidly, holding back tears, much to his embarrassment.

"Scott." Peter sighed, calming himself before continuing. "How many fights in the last week? At least three."

"I didn't do anything!" Scott exclaimed. "Not this time!"

Peter threw a thumb in Keith's direction, indicating the new teen's bloodied nose and sore stomach. "Nothing, Scott?" He stood up and paced. "Am I not getting through to you? KP, laps, extra chores, discussions…What does it take?"

Scott rocked back and forth furiously, clutching the tissue to his lip. Keith felt increasingly guilty. After all, he _had_ initiated the fight, he had thrown the first punch. It didn't excuse what Scott had said, but…

"I started it," Keith said slowly. "I hit him first."

Peter whirled on him. But Keith looked so despondent and meek that he softened. "Why?"

Keith shrugged. He knew better than to rat someone else out.

"Scott?" Peter asked. "What did you say?"

"Why do you always assume—" Scott began indignantly.

"Scott." Scott knew that Peter meant business, and he knew from experience not to mess with him when he was in this particular kind of mood.

"I called him a retard," Scott admitted. "I didn't mean it."

"That made you angry?" Peter asked Keith, feeling more in control of the situation.

"Yeah," Keith said quietly.

"Tell him why," Peter prodded.

Keith's eyes flashed as he glanced at Scott. "Don't ever say that. You don't understand what it means. You're misusing it. A retard is someone who is mentally retarded. It is not a word to be tossed around lightly—and especially not as an insult. To do that is rude and disrespectful. It's just mean. When you just call someone a retard like that, you're insulting people who are actually medically diagnosed as retarded."

Scott looked adequately chastened. Peter nodded, noting that Keith had a tendency to have sudden flashes of anger, then long periods of sheepish calm.

"Scott, you've got shuns for a week," Peter said finally.

"What!?" Scott yelled, outraged.

"You heard me." Peter raised his eyebrows. "Third fight? What do you want me to do?"

Sophie moved forward. "Come with me." Scott stood up slowly, taking his time, and slinked out of the cabin behind Sophie. Roger nodded to Peter and followed them in case Scott's temper flared again and Sophie needed backup.

Keith dropped his spent tissue on the bed; his nose had stopped bleeding. He stretched his back slightly, feeling the dull pain in his stomach. Peter sat at the foot of Scott's vacated bed, across from Keith.

"Keith, I don't know what you've come here thinking," he said. "But at Horizon, we solve problems with words, not fists. I'd advise you not to test me on this one."

"I'm sorry," Keith muttered. He looked down, feeling the tears rising back up. He gritted his teeth and swore that Peter wouldn't see them.

Peter tried unsuccessfully to catch Keith's eyes. "You wanna talk?" he asked. "Maybe about why you're here?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know if you want to talk?"

"No," Keith said. "I don't know why I'm here. I shouldn't be."

"Why's that?" Peter asked.

"Because I don't belong here," Keith answered.

"Why do you think that?" Peter asked. "Somebody obviously thought you should be here. Why don't you think so?"

"I'm not on drugs," Keith said, sniffing once. "I don't hate my parents. I didn't commit some crime. I don't have a police record."

"Then why do you think you ended up here?"

"I don't know," Keith repeated.

"What's your _opinion_?" Peter asked, just as Auggie had predicted. "I don't care about facts or evidence. Why do _you_ think you're here?"

"I don't know," Keith repeated again.

"You need to think about it," Peter said. "I want five hundred words by tomorrow. Either on the justifications of the rules and regulations of Horizon, or…why you're here." He started out, then paused. "And Keith? Stay out of fights. Next time, I won't go so easy on you." With that, he left.

Keith curled up on his bed, once again burying his head in his pillow, this time with increased misery. Since he'd arrived, he'd fallen in love, made two enemies (he worried that David hated him as well as Scott), gotten into a fight, and been bawled out by the school's head honcho. Quite a start to a new experience.


	15. Appropriate Ventilation

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Higher Ground. However, I did make up Janey and Keith. Thank you for reading this story, and thank you for your reviews. You guys make the writing more fun.

Note: Also, thank you so much for all of your reviews of _Non-Denominational Secret Santas_. It was a fun story to write indeed. And sorry I put this story off for so long...I'm kind of overwhelmed with schoolwork, so I'll update as often as I can, but no promises.

* * *

At dinnertime, the Cliffhangers congregated at their usual table. Shelby saved the seat next to her for Scott. Daisy and David were chatting about the obstacle course that the Cliffhangers were to do the next day. Ezra and Auggie were arguing about the dimensions of a basketball court. Janey, Juliette, Scott, and Keith were not at the table.

Juliette finally came over with her food tray. She plunked down between Ezra and Auggie, terminating their argument.

"Aren't you supposed to be Keith's buddy?" she asked Auggie.

"If he showed up, maybe," Auggie said, defending himself.

Keith walked in just then, and Auggie sighed, dropping his fork onto his half-emptied dinner plate. "Be right back," he promised, getting up and going over to help Keith figure out the dining hall.

Juliette began a conversation with Ezra, and in a few minutes, Auggie and Keith came over. Auggie sat back down, but Keith hesitated at the nearly full table until Shelby finally pulled back the chair she had been saving for Scott.

"You can sit here, I guess," she said, slightly irked that Scott had not told her that he would be late. "If Scott shows up, he can drag over his own chair."

Keith nervously sat down next to Shelby, his heart pounding. To his other side was Daisy, who was next to David.

"Where's Janey?" Daisy asked.

"I don't think she feels too good," Auggie said quickly. "I saw her a while ago in Peter's office. She looked kinda sick or something."

"I hope she's okay!" Juliette exclaimed worriedly.

"Jeez," Shelby said. "Where the heck is Scott?"

"Scott's not coming!" David said cheerfully, looking up from his plate, having constructed a Grand Canyon model out of lasagna, peas, and milk. "He got shuns!"

"What!?" Shelby asked. Everyone else looked up. "What for?"

"Fighting!" David announced loudly enough for the High Liners to hear as well. They looked almost as interested as the Cliffhangers. Keith bowed his head. "Him and Keith had this huge fight." He paused for dramatic effect, grinning wickedly. "There was even _blood_."

Keith got up and left the dining hall. He heard Auggie call after him, then get up and jog to catch up. Directly outside of the dining hall, Auggie caught up.

"Hey man," Auggie said. "What's that all about?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Keith said angrily. Auggie was startled to see this side of the seemingly calm new boy.

"Take it easy," Auggie said. He paused. "Look, just come sit back down and finish eating. You don't gotta talk about it."

"Don't _have_ to," Keith corrected under his breath. He usually wasn't picky about grammar, but anything got on his nerves if he was feeling on edge.

"What?" Auggie asked.

"Nothing. I'm not hungry," Keith said. Just what he needed, a second fight. "I'm going back to the dorm."

"Okay," Auggie replied.

Right then, Sophie came over. "Quick group after dinner," Sophie said. "In the main lodge."

Auggie nodded, and Sophie moved past them into the building.

"Group's kinda mandatory," Auggie explained. "Do whatever, but make sure that you're in the main lodge at six forty-five, when dinner ends, or both our butts'll fry."

Auggie reentered the dining hall, not giving Keith a chance to talk his way out of anything. Keith sat despondently on the steps to the dining hall, leaning against a nearby wooden pillar. Several minutes later, Ezra came out.

"Hey, Keith," Ezra said, his face splitting into a gregarious smile. "Ezra, remember?"

"Yeah," Keith said.

"I'm heading over to the lodge now, wanna come?"

"Sure," Keith agreed, standing up and walking there with Ezra.

Inside, Ezra sat down on a couch and Keith flopped into an armchair, folding his lengthy legs over one of the chair's arms.

"You okay?" Ezra asked. He didn't mention Scott's name. "I know first days are tough, and you've had a whammy of a first day. Any questions? Jeez, I sound like a tour guide."

Ezra laughed, but Keith didn't. "What's shuns?" he asked. Scott had seemed mad when Peter said he had it.

"Horizon's ultimate punishment," Ezra explained. "Kind of like being grounded, but worse. You can't talk to your peers, only counselors and only when absolutely necessary. You can't eat with your friends or sleep in the dorm. You have to spend all your time writing in this journal that gets turned into Peter at the end of your 'sentence.' Everyone dreads it, but not many people actually get it." He paused, trying to read Keith's face. "Why were you fighting?"

Keith shrugged as if it didn't matter or he didn't remember. But he did remember. He kept playing their conversation over and over in his head.

_"Yo. He's not a retard." _

_"Don't you ever say that!" _

_"What? Retard? Why? Are you one? I saw you lookin' at Shelby. Don't even think about it, retard." _

_"Shut up!" And then he hit him._

Ezra watched him interestedly. Keith immediately relaxed his face, making it bland and indifferent, a trick he often found useful against his parents and teachers.

David, Juliette, and Auggie entered, followed at a short distance by Shelby and Daisy, who had their heads together, talking quietly. David, Auggie, and Juliette squeezed onto the couch around Ezra, who made sure that Auggie and Juliette both sat between David and him. Daisy and Shelby stopped a short distance away from the group, still whispering.

"Hey," Auggie said suddenly. "Never introduced you to David. David, this is Keith; Keith, this is David."

David grinned wickedly at Keith, who turned slightly away.

"We've met," Keith said curtly.

Sophie came over, putting a gentle hand on the shoulders of Shelby and Daisy. "You two want to join up?"

They moved in, and Sophie directed everyone to stand up in a circle. Keith found himself beside Ezra and Shelby, the latter of who he couldn't bring himself to look at. He knew that she must be furious with him for getting Scott into so much trouble.

"All right, gang—" Sophie began.

"Wait a sec!" Peter called, coming in with his arm around a very tired, downcast Janey. "Sorry she's late."

Janey gave Peter a pleading look, wanting to be anywhere but under the scrutinizing looks of her group mates. He shook his head faintly, and she looked down. Keith studied her, recognizing her as the sleeping girl in Peter's office. Peter left, and Sophie drew Janey into the group, putting her between Auggie and Juliette. Then she put herself between Daisy and David. She didn't trust the secretive looks that David was shooting Daisy. Daisy gave him a confused glare and then turned back to Shelby.

"First of all," Sophie said. "Does everyone know everyone?"

Janey didn't even seem to notice that there was a newbie, and Keith wanted to speak up, felt like he should greet the sad girl he had seen earlier, but his shyness factor rocketed, and he pressed his lips together. Fortunately, Juliette was anything but shy.

"I don't think Janey and Keith have met," she announced.

Janey looked up slowly, seeing the new boy next to Ezra. She was silent though, almost boding.

"Well?" Sophie said. "Introduce yourselves."

"Uh," Keith stammered. "I'm, uh, Keith Morgan."

"Janey Higgins," Janey said tersely.

Several Cliffhangers looked taken aback by Janey's falling back into her old habits of snapping at everyone. They were also surprised when Sophie didn't ask if Janey had something she wanted to talk about.

"I know that this has been an incredibly stressful time," Sophie said, meeting the eyes of everyone but Janey, whose eyes only met the floor. "For the new people, and for the old hats. I know that some of you are trying very hard to keep that stress inside, hidden. And I know that others have been venting it inappropriately. So we're going to find an alternative to hiding and inappropriate ventilation."

"Tribal call, man, yeah!" David yelled. It was his favorite method of therapy.

"Yes, David," Sophie said, hiding a smile. "Those of you that don't know what this is, listen up. I'm going to count to three, then we all yell. You can yell as loud as you like, but when I put my hand up in the air, stop. Got it?"

"I can provide a demo," David offered.

"That's all right," Sophie said, shuddering inwardly. "Everyone got it?"

There were several mumbled yeses and one enthusiastic yes. Sophie squared her shoulders resignedly.

"One…two…three—"

The room erupted into yells. Keith and Janey both looked slightly startled, but Janey, without taking her eyes off of her shoes, screamed along with the rest. Keith looked around nervously.

"Hey!" Ezra jammed a gentle elbow into Keith's stomach. Keith took it as a hint and hollered once, feeling stupid. But maybe his grade depended on this, he thought.

David beat on his chest like Tarzan, yelling above the rest. Everyone else looked almost as excited, their cheeks flushed and eyes bright. Janey got into it more, forcing her chin to rise to permit herself a look around the circle. And she fell silent.

When Sophie finally lifted her hand to signal for silence, most of the group was out of breath, but smiling. Sophie smiled too, glad that tensions were somewhat lifted.

"Okay, gang. One last thing. Finish the sentence: I am…" She grabbed a staff and tossed it to Daisy.

"I am one speck of dust in a million." She tossed it to Ezra.

"I am here." He tossed it to Shelby.

"I am me, nothing more." She tossed it to David.

"I am me, nothing less!" He tossed it to Juliette.

"I am not what she wanted, maybe, but I am who I am anyway." She tossed it to Auggie.

"I am okay." He tossed it to Keith.

"I am…confused." He held the staff for a minute.

"You finish the sentence," Sophie explained. "With whatever you feel."

"That's what I feel," Keith said firmly. "I am confused." He tossed the staff to Janey.

"I am…I am not her. Or him." This she said quietly. Sophie watched her carefully, knowing that she was talking about Scott and Elaine. Janey tossed the staff back to Sophie. "Where is he?"

"He's on shuns," Sophie said slowly.

Janey nodded, and, to everyone's surprise, did not ask questions.

On that note, Sophie dismissed them all, and watched as they walked back to their dorms. The tension temporarily relieved by the tribal call was back on their shoulders with the mention of Scott.

* * *

"Where were you today?" Juliette asked Janey as the girls changed for bed. "Were you with Peter?"

"Uh huh," Janey replied. She steeled herself against the coming question.

"What issue was he harassing _you_ over?" Daisy asked, her mind still processing the fact that her father was coming for a visit.

"Donwanatok," Janey mumbled.

"Huh?" Juliette asked.

"Don't want to talk about it," Janey said more clearly.

"Was it—" Juliette began.

"Hey, queenie," Shelby snapped. "She said she didn't want to talk about it."

"I was just wondering—" Juliette tried again.

"No," Shelby interrupted, and Juliette fell silent. Janey shot Shelby a grateful glance, which the older girl acknowledged with a knowing look.

"Anyone know what we're doing tomorrow?" Juliette asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Short buddy hike-back," Daisy responded, leaning back with a book about Eastern mysticism.

At Janey's confused look, Juliette explained, somehow hoping to redeem herself in the girl's eyes. "That's where you and another person are tied together at the ankles, and Peter drops you off somewhere and you have to hike back together."

"He's really into this tying stuff, isn't he?" Janey asked, rubbing her wrist in remembrance.

The others laughed, even Daisy, and they all got comfortable for the night. In a short time, Janey could hear the slow deep breathing of sleep from three other beds, but she felt too concerned and jumpy to sleep. Her thoughts raced around until she got a pounding headache.

Scott had shuns? For what? Did she even really want to know? Maybe it was better; maybe it was good that he wasn't around when she handed over the tape. He would be so mad when he found out… She bit her lip, anxious, but at the same time, she could feel a great weight being lifted off of her shoulders.

Shutting her eyes, she willed sleep to come, but it wouldn't. Instead, her thoughts drifted to the new boy. What was his name? Oh, yes, Keith. At least, she was pretty sure that that was what he had mumbled during group. She wondered why he was at Horizon. He had said he was confused. Janey almost laughed. Everyone was confused. She was confused herself, especially with all matters pertaining to Scott. Sighing, the laughter gone from her mind, she almost wished that her mother had never married Scott's father, thus saving everyone from this mess.

But such a thing was not possible. She could not go back in time and prevent the marriage. No, she had to live with the past and all of its ramifications. There was nothing else to do but live with it and try to make it better.

And if Scott had shuns, it probably meant that he did not know about Janey's tape and what she had told Peter.

Was that good or bad? Janey rubbed her forehead confusedly. She didn't know anymore. There was too much and it was all happening too fast. Too fast.


	16. Buddies

Disclaimer: I do not own the Higher Ground characters. I just made up the plot, Janey, and Keith. That's all!

* * *

Breakfast was an early affair, and the Cliffhangers, sans Scott, ate together before the other groups even got to the dining hall. Peter entered as they were in the midst of eating. Keith got up solemnly and handed Peter two sheets of paper.

"I couldn't find a stapler," he said.

Peter glanced at the title at the top of the paper. _Justifications of the Rules and Regulations of Horizon_, it read in tidy handwriting. Peter read over a bit of it. _The rules and regulations of Horizon exist for good reasons. Physical, emotional, and mental wellnesses are protected by these rules. The breaking of such rules can result in an unsafe situation._ It went on.

Folding the papers neatly, Peter tucked them into the back pocket of his jeans. He had been sure that Keith would choose this topic for his essay.

"Thank you, Keith," he said. "You can take your seat again." The boy obeyed, and Peter raised his eyebrows at the rest of the group. "I'll be taking you up to the starting point in bunches, so you can all fit safely in the jeep. Be ready in fifteen minutes."

Everybody either groaned or nodded, acknowledging the order in some manner. Then Peter left to gather supplies for the hike-back, and the kids went back to their food.

* * *

By seven-thirty, Sophie, Shelby, Daisy, Janey, Ezra, and Keith lounged around in a small clearing. The five students all wore blindfolds. Shelby, Daisy, and Ezra were complaining.

"Sophie, none of us really want to be doing this right now," Ezra said.

"Funny," Sophie said humorlessly. "I don't remember asking you."

"Harsh," Shelby commented.

"Couldn't we, like, put it to a vote?" Ezra persisted.

"Nope," Sophie said. "We can't."

"Can we at least take these blindfolds off?" Daisy asked.

"No," Sophie said, glancing at her watch. "Hold on a minute, gang."

Right on time, Peter's jeep pulled up, and he turned off the motor, helping Juliette, Auggie, and David—all blindfolded as well—out of the car, spinning each one around several times to increase their disorientation. David flopped over dramatically.

"All right," Peter said. "Blindfolds off." Everyone was happy to comply. "Okay, for you newbies, this is the game. This is a buddy hike-back. Sophie and I'll be tying you together—two to a team—and you'll have to find your way back to campus from a specific location."

"We'll be keeping an eye on each pair," Sophie added. "To make sure that you don't get too lost…or act out of line. And remember that if the tie gets broken, you're honor-bound to retie it."

"Can we pick our buddies?" Juliette asked, shooting a furtive smile at Auggie.

"Nope," Sophie said, catching the surreptitious motion. "We've got it all picked out for you."

"First team," Peter announced. "Juliette and Ezra."

The two moved forward to have their ankles loosely tied. Keith saw Juliette glance longingly at Auggie, and he hoped that by some miracle, he would be paired with Shelby.

"Next are Janey and Auggie." They stepped forward as well, and Janey frowned tightly at the ground, nervous at being attached to Juliette's boyfriend. What if he were as frighteningly energetic and freakishly happy as her? She didn't think so, but one never knew.

"Daisy and Keith." Keith felt slightly disappointed, then he realized that if bound to Shelby, he would not know what to say. So it was with a feeling of relief that he allowed Peter to tie his ankle to Daisy's.

"And the last two. Shelby and David." Shelby glared at David furiously, as if it were his fault that they were stuck together. David grinned cheerfully. He knew that _he _would have fun.

Sophie passed out one compass and one whistle to each team. "You've all been out further than this before, with the exceptions of Janey and Keith, but you two are paired with someone who has. It should be tricky to find your way back, but it should be entirely do-able."

"Use the compass, but be sure to get your bearings first," Peter advised. "And if there are any problems, blow the whistle, and Soph and I will come running."

"Have a seat, folks," Sophie said. "You'll be leaving in fifteen minute intervals of each other, so get comfortable." She paused. "Any questions?"

There weren't any.

"In that case," Peter said. "Daisy and Keith, you may leave."

The two stood, and Daisy pointed confidently in a direction. "Let's go that way." And they were off. Sophie followed at a slight distance.

Peter jogged over to his car and pulled out a deck of cards. He returned to the remaining Cliffhangers, shuffling the cards.

"Anyone up for a game of poker?"

They circled up and began a lively game. Fifteen minutes passed, then Peter released Auggie and Janey. Fifteen minutes later, Juliette and Ezra left. Fifteen minutes after that, Peter turned to Shelby and David.

"Behave," he said. "I mean it, you two. I'm going to be keeping very close tabs on you."

Shelby smirked at him, and David wrinkled his nose. Sophie had been unsure about this particular pairing, but Peter had been adamant. He wanted to see how they worked together.

"You can go."

They left in the same direction as every other group. Peter chuckled to himself, knowing that it was not the best and quickest route, but they would all realize that in time. He put a rubber band around his deck of cards and jumped back in his jeep, ready to take it back to campus before jogging back out to keep an eye on the teams. 


	17. Long Trek Home

Disclaimer: I do not own any Higher Ground characters. I did, however, make up the plot and the characters of Janey and Keith. And this chapter was unbelievably fun to write. Very fun; certain Cliffhangers are hilarious when put with certain other Cliffhangers.

* * *

Auggie had a pretty good sense of direction, so although the compass served him nothing but confusion, he and Janey were making pretty good time. As they moved along, following Auggie's quiet commands, the older boy grew tired of the silence.

"How's it going, chica?" he asked.

"Fine," Janey said, guarded.

Auggie scratched his head, not sure whether or not he should bring the previous day's events back up. "Do you mind if I ask what was up yesterday?"

"Hmm?" Janey asked, her mind wandering.

"I saw you in Peter's office," Auggie said. "Asleep. What's up?"

Janey was instantly alert. "Nothing." Who had he told? Juliette?

As if reading her mind, Auggie said, "I didn't tell nobody or nothin'."

"Oh." How was she supposed to respond to that?

"Janey, was it about your mom?"

"Leave it alone, Auggie," Janey snapped.

"Look, I don't wanna bug you or nothin'," he said, holding his hands up. "But I want you to know that you can talk to me…or to anybody here. We all gotta help each other."

"Yeah, like you and Juliette help each other out. What is that, make-out therapy? Doesn't seem to help her. She's still messed beyond belief."

Auggie stopped so suddenly that Janey tripped and fell over. She picked herself up indignantly, only to have her shoulders seized and shaken once sharply by Auggie.

"Shut up about what you don't understand," he hissed. "You don't know half of the crap Jules has been through."

"Oh yeah?" Janey said, her own voice quaking with fury. "How her mommy is a perfectionist who wants the best for her little Juliette? At least she cares!"

"You call that caring? You call being overbearing to the point of emotional and verbal abuse caring?"

Janey was silent.

"So just shut up about things you don't understand."

They went onward, the only interruption of the silence being Auggie's occasional brief directions.

* * *

Daisy and Keith were making slower timing, but they kept moving. Daisy announced that she had vague recollections of being around here before, and that was enough. Keith wondered if she was crazy. She certainly had some choice things to say.

"I'll have to read your cards," she told Keith, who watched her worriedly out of the corner of his eye. "But you must have some idea as to why you're here at this exciting little school of seclusion." When Keith said nothing, she continued. "Did you get in a lot of fights? Like you did yesterday with Scott?"

Keith sighed and shoved his hair out of his eyes. "No."

"No?" Daisy asked. "You don't get in a lot of fights?"

"No," he said.

"Well then," she said. "What happened with Scott?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," Keith answered, hoping that she would let it go.

"Go figure," Daisy said, twisting her face into something that remotely resembled a smile. "David give you a hard time last night?"

Keith shrugged. In truth, when they had been sent back to their cabins, not much had happened involving him. His bed was next to Auggie's and across from Scott's empty bed. David was on the other side of Auggie's, and the Latino boy had been quietly and subtly protective of Keith, keeping David from bothering him beyond a few sly comments about Scott's absence. Ezra and David had had a brief argument about what brand of soap was best, and then everyone went to bed. All in all, it had been an uneventful night.

"You're a real conversationalist, you know that?" Daisy asked sarcastically. "We're tied together at the ankles, buddy. You going to say more than three words?"

He already had, but Keith let the sarcasm go. "Look, I don't belong here." How many times had he said that? How many times had people just blown him off?

"Really?" Daisy asked. "That's fascinating. Because, see, neither do I." Keith's interest was caught. "And neither does Shelby, or Ezra, or David. Or Scott, you know…" Keith's spirits sank. She was being sarcastic again.

"Seriously," he said. "I mean it."

"There's always something," Daisy said wisely. "Everyone has their little problems."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged suddenly. "And what's yours?"

"Conked my father over the head with a golf club."

Keith moved as far away from her as their bound ankles would allow and hoped fervently that they were nearing the school.

* * *

Ezra and Juliette were quite possibly having the easiest time of it. Their conversations were light and easy, about anything and everything from the weather to _The Scarlet Letter_. They had known each other for several years, and had never really crossed paths in a negative way.

Around noon, they both felt a bit hungry.

"All right, Ezra," Juliette said. "You're the expert here. What's safe?"

Ezra looked about at all of the plants available. He nudged a few leaves, poked at a few berries, and finally selected several plants.

"What's for lunch?" Juliette asked.

"Huckleberries and blackberries."

"Oh," Juliette said, sitting on a log next to one of the plants Ezra had pointed out. She had already seen and recognized the blackberries, but she was glad that he remembered huckleberries, as she hadn't noticed them.

Picking the berries and handing half to Juliette, Ezra sat down on the log next to her and they ate with a comfortable silence.

Finally, Juliette opened her mouth for a reason other than eating. "What do you think of the new kid?"

"Who? Keith?"

"Well, Janey's not so new anymore, is she?"

"Guess not," Ezra said thoughtfully. "Keith, huh? He's awfully quiet."

"Were you there when he—"

"When he hit Scott?" Ezra asked. "No. Apparently it was plenty exciting though."

"I guess," Juliette said, making a face. She wondered if her original judgment of Keith as a quiet, sweet boy was completely untrue. Perhaps. Perhaps not. She knew that Scott had provoked several fights in his time at Horizon, so she was sure that at least part of the blame must have been his.

After a few moments of quiet, Ezra felt the need to break it. "How do you think the other teams are doing?"

"Hmm," Juliette said thoughtfully, as if the prediction were vital to their own success. "Auggie and Janey are probably doing okay. Auggie's got a good sense of direction, and Janey's kind of in a quiet mood today."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Ezra agreed. "How about Daisy and Keith?" He tried to keep his voice a bit disinterested, but in truth, he was nervous about Daisy maybe thinking that Keith was better worth her time than Ezra.

"Daisy's likely freaking him out with her strange topics." She glanced at Ezra and bit her lip. "Sorry, not strange, _different_."

"Nah," Ezra laughed shortly. "Strange works."

"And Shelby and David. We all know how that one's going." Juliette smiled.

Ezra laughed again, longer this time. "Indeed we do."

* * *

And Shelby and David would not disappoint. So far, the rope binding them together had broken seven times due to David's insistence on skipping and running it into things. Shelby worked on breathing.

"Think we're going the right way?" David asked jovially.

"We better be," Shelby said tightly.

A tree rapidly approached them. At the last second, David danced to one side, and the rope snapped across the tree trunk. Shelby stopped, her face freezing into a look of anger.

"David, that's the eighth time! You idiot!"

He grinned happily at her, as though she had just crowned him emperor. She knelt to retie the rope, and he bent sideways to stare at her backside. Immediately, she felt his eyes and stood up.

"That's it, you tie it."

Unshaken, he bent down to retie it, winking over his shoulder at her. "Don't pretend you didn't want that view." He wiggled his own backside at her.

Shelby resisted the urge to kick it. "I'm too busy pretending I don't have a sudden, inexplicable desire to kick out."

Maturely, he stuck his tongue out at her and crossed his eyes. Shelby rolled her own eyes and crossed her arms, turning her back on her partner. He finished with the rope and stood back up.

"We should sing or something."

"What!?"

"Yeah," David said. "A song by the Backstink Boys or something. You like those guys, right?"

"Not particularly," Shelby replied, inwardly trying to figure out who the Backstink Boys were and what kind of music they played. She decided they must be a heavy metal band or something of the sort, given their odd name.

Frustrated that Shelby had not been angry about his obvious slur of the popular boy band's name—she hadn't even seemed to notice—David tried to some up with a better plot to bother her. Nothing came immediately to mind, so he skirted around a log and snapped the rope again.

"_David_!"


	18. The Benefit of Talking

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Higher Ground. However, I did make up Janey, Keith, and Officer Kaye. Hang in there folks, life and school are taking a few bumps right now, so updating isn't always easy. I _am_ trying for you guys! Keep reviewing; I appreciate all of your comments.

* * *

The groups trailed in slowly. Auggie and Janey arrived first, then Ezra and Juliette, then Daisy and Keith, and finally Shelby and David. Ezra and Juliette seemed to be the only pair that was in high spirits. Shelby and David were a wreck, dirty, arguing, and clearly unhappy with the whole situation. Auggie and Janey too were not completely happy with each other—they were apparently not talking to each other. Keith, for his part, was staying as far away from Daisy as he could, and when Peter untied them, he inched his way over to the other side of the group.

"How'd that go?" Peter asked, but he knew the answer.

"Great, Peter," Juliette said. "Went fine."

"Very educational," Daisy added. "I learned some very interesting things about the newbie."

"That's news," Auggie said, his frustration with Janey transferring to this situation. "Kid won't tell me nothin' worth the time. Just keeps sayin' he don't belong here."

David jumped into the conversation. "You know, Aug, he's probably got quite an interesting story." He smiled and wiggled a hand in front of Keith's face. "Hmm? What is it? Felony of some kind? Murder, perhaps? What's on your conscience, sonny?"

"Knock it off, David," Sophie said quickly, as Keith backed away from the older boy.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Auggie glared at Keith. "He's in denial, that's for sure."

"Hey, shut up!" Shelby snapped. Keith blushed, grateful but embarrassed for her defense.

"This isn't your problem!" Auggie told her tightly.

"And it isn't yours either," she retorted. "Leave him alone. He's new."

"Yeah?" Auggie demanded, taking a step forward.

Peter grabbed his shoulder. "Auggie. Take a lap around the perimeters. Now."

Auggie left, shooting a glare over his shoulder at Keith and the rest of the Cliffhangers as he did so. Sophie cleared her throat as the remaining students looked at the sky, at the ground, at anything but each other and the adults.

"Some of you need showers," Sophie announced, talking particularly to Shelby and David. "So why don't you all go back to your own cabins for about an hour, get cleaned up and cooled off. Then we'll meet again at dinnertime. Sound good?"

The best response she got was a shrug, but that was enough. The students were dismissed, and Peter hung around for a second to talk to his wife.

"That wasn't like Auggie," he said quietly. "Losing his temper like that."

"They're all on edge," Sophie replied. "With a kid on shuns, the tension level naturally rises. And it doesn't help that we have a newbie right now. Or that Janey's just told us about that tape."

"And Daisy's dad's coming up in less than a week," Peter added.

"That too," Sophie agreed. "So much is just hitting them at once."

"Did Auggie and Janey have an argument on the trail?"

"It's possible, but not one that I _saw_," Sophie said. "I didn't really see them communicate at all." She frowned. "Interesting that Shelby just defended Keith to Auggie. Do you think that Shelby…"

"No," Peter said, knowing what Sophie was about to ask. Scott and Shelby were too well cemented together. Keith didn't have a chance with her. "I think Shelby's just brewing for a fight. She held it together really well with David, and I think that arguing with Auggie was just her way of projecting her frustration. Keith, on the other hand…I'd say that kid has it bad for Shelb."

"Yeah, I've noticed it too. Might have been what got Scott mad enough to lose it with Keith and start that fight."

"Keith started it," Peter reminded her. "He admitted it himself." He pulled Keith's paper out of his jeans pocket, waving it slightly. "Got a nice paper on the rules and regulations at Horizon out of him for it."

"He's really convinced himself that he doesn't belong here," Sophie said.

"Definite case of denial." Peter nodded. "A lot of newbies have it. But his mood swings are worrisome. The way he acts so shy and almost sheepish most of the time, then just loses his temper completely. He's got some stuff to work through."

"How about the Janey thing?" Sophie asked. "The tape. How're we going to handle it?"

"It's a tough call," Peter replied slowly. "Officer Kaye's setting the wheels in motion, but it looks like both kids will need to testify to get Elaine behind bars."

"Scott's on such an emotional overload right now," Sophie said hesitantly. "I don't know if telling him about the tape is the best thing for him right now."

"This could very well provide the closure he needs for the Elaine crisis," Peter pointed out. "But you're right, I can't see him taking this very calmly. He does need to know though. We'll wait to talk to him until after his shuns ends, then get him isolated and tell him."

"I don't know what this'll do to his relationship with Janey," Sophie added. "It's so shaky right now."

"It won't be easy," Peter answered slowly. "For either of them. But we can't turn back. Janey gave us the tape, and when we have information like that, it has to be reported."

"I know." Sophie caught his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "But like you said, it isn't easy."

"Welcome to the real world." Peter kissed her gently. Sometimes, reality was so hard to face.

* * *

Shelby split off from the Cliffhanger girls as they headed for their cabin and slipped into one of the bigger buildings and, taking a shot at which classroom she wanted, sneaked inside. Bingo! In the otherwise empty room, Scott was sitting at a table, a notebook open in front of him. He looked up to see Shelby.

"Shelb!" He glanced around worriedly. "What're you doin' here?"

"What kind of a greeting is that?" she demanded, sitting in the chair next to him and leaning over to kiss him.

He wrinkled his nose as she pulled away. "Where've you been? Got all dirty?"

"_I_ spent the day tied to David," she said with disdain. "And _you're_ supposed to be the one Peter's punishing."

Scott laughed. "Buddy hike-back?"

"You bet."

His face suddenly shifted to a serious expression. "That new boy leaving you alone?"

"Who? Keith?" she asked. "Scott, he's not gonna get anywhere. Come on? Don't you have more faith in me than that?"

"I have plenty of faith in _you_," he said stressing the word 'you.' "But I don't trust him."

"He's just a kid," Shelby assured him. "Janey's age."

"He better stay away from her too."

"Come on." Shelby sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, Auggie had a go at him this afternoon too. He's really not all that bad. All kids have crushes. It's natural." She emphasized her last sentence with several light kisses on Scott's lips.

"Like how you had a crush on me last year?" he asked, tilting his head back teasingly.

"Oh you!" She gave him a playful shove, then turned serious. "There's something up with Janey, though. She spent all day yesterday in Peter's office, and then she was very quiet and kinda snappish at group."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Juliette was bugging her about telling last night, but she didn't want to talk."

"I wish I could talk to her," he said. "This is all my fault, you know. Her being here."

"I don't think that's true, Scott," Shelby told him. "Elaine was her mother. You told me about how she was neglected and that stuff. It isn't just the drugs. She would've ended up more messed up if she'd continued to live with Elaine."

"Yeah?" Scott's eyes sought Shelby's, begging desperately for reassurance. Begging for comfort and the knowledge that he was not guilty of ruining the life of another. She inched off her chair and into his lap.

"It's okay, Scott," she said quietly, soothingly. "It's over. Janey's here; she's away from Elaine. The past's behind you both. You don't have to deal with it any more. Never again. It's over."

"Is it?" he asked miserably. "Is it ever over?"

"Daisy told me something once." Shelby took Scott's hand gently, entwining their fingers. "She said that scars endure, but you learn to live with them and to be proud of them. She's says there's a story behind every scar and every smile, and while those stories tell your past, they don't tell your future."

"What if those scars are reopened?"

"Have to heal again," Shelby answered quietly. "You and Janey have some of the same scars, and you can work through them together. Together you can keep them from reopening."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm hmm." She leaned back and kissed him gently. After a moment, he pulled back and regarded her affectionately.

"Thanks, Shelb."

"Any time, cowboy," she replied teasingly, touching the tip of his nose lightly with her nose. "Always happy to impart the teachings of Daisy Lipenowski."

"Any time _except _when Scott's on shuns, that is." Both teens spun around to see Roger standing in the doorway, hands on hips. He frowned sternly at the two, but they looked so stricken that he couldn't help but soften slightly. "Shelby, out. Scott, back to writing. I'll let this one slide, but if it happens again, I'll sic Peter on you." The last was said with a hint of a smile, and he held the door for Shelby.

As she passed Roger, she turned back and said, "It's going to get better, Scott. Really."

"Sometimes, it feels like it couldn't get much worse," he replied.

"Write that down, then," Roger said, giving Shelby a light push. "But no more talking. I don't want to remind you _again_, Scott."

Scott nodded, and Shelby shot a final encouraging smile to him as Roger hustled her out the door. Once the door was shut, he faced her. "Shelby, you know the rules—"

"Yeah, yeah," she said flippantly. "I know the rules, I know I broke them, I'm sorry, I won't do it again, and I'll get back to what I'm supposed to be doing. I know the lecture, Roger." With that, she turned to leave

"Remember it in the future," he said to her retreating back. When she made no sign of hearing, he added lightheartedly, "And for heaven's sake, Shelby. Take a shower."


End file.
